The Moments that Count
by blondebabe11
Summary: Percy is at a Roman camp, with no memories. That much Annabeth knows. But what Annabeth, and the other half bloods, don't know is what happened when Percy was at the camp. The gods take demigods and they read moments from The Son of Neptune. **I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON! RICK RIORDAN DOES!**
1. Chapter 1

Annabeth walked aimlessly around Camp Half Blood. It had been a few months since her boyfriend, Percy Jackson, has gone missing and since then things have gotten crazy.

A roman demigod, Jason Grace, came to camp. He was the son of Jupiter, or Zeus, and was Thalia's sister. He had his memory wiped, but has regained all his memories. He was tall, maybe an inch taller than Percy, landing him at 6 foot, 1 inch. He had short, roman styled blonde hair, and blue eyes, just like Thalia's. He had special powers, like Percy. He could control the winds, and thus fly. He also had power over lightning and thunder.

His best friend at Camp, Leo Valdez, was the short, elfish son of Hephaestus. He, unlike his siblings, was short, had curly brown hair, brown eyes, and he had slender fingers, to go with his slender, scrawny body. He was always was making jokes, and was currently building a ship. He had control over fire, and it was pretty scary, but very cool.

Finally, there was the gorgeous daughter of Aphrodite, Piper McLean. She tried to not draw attention to herself, so she ever wore makeup and cut her brown hair in a choppy fashion, braiding parts of it. She had kaleidoscope eyes, and the power of Charmspeak, meaning she could convince people to do things. She was Jason's girlfriend, and she wasn't very confidant, which was odd for a daughter of Aphrodite.

The three of them had gone on a quest, and had come back, telling the camp that Percy was at the roman camp, and most likely had no memories.

Annabeth couldn't stand that thought. She imagined Percy, trying to find his way around camp, not knowing who he was, or who Annabeth was. What is he falls in love with a Roman girl? Aphrodite wasn't that mean? Was she?

Annabeth fingered her owl necklace, a gift from Percy. She finally realized where she was.

She looked out at the swirling blues and greens of the lake, and she thought of Percy's green eyes. She walked out on the wooden dock, and she took off her high tops. She sat on the edge, letting her feet dance in the water. Percy used to come here to clear his head, and now it is where Annabeth seemed to end up. She could imagine him sitting here with her, their fingers intertwined. Maybe a few kisses.

But now he was off doing who knows what.

All she wanted to know was how he was doing. She needed to know she was safe. Percy had a strong demi-god scent, being a child of Poseidon. Having monsters attacking him daily, and not knowing who he was?

Annabeth shuddered, throwing her blonde hair into a ponytail.

"Hey, Annabeth," called a voice, and Annabeth whipped around to see a head full of crazy, red hair. Green eyes that seemed to glow in the late afternoon sun looked at Annabeth, and she smiled. She needed a friend right now.

"Hi Rachel," she said, trying to sound happy, but not being able to. She missed Percy, and she would give anything to see him again, and Rachel could see it in her eyes. Rachel rolled up her paint splattered jeans, and took off her flip flops. She sat next to Annabeth, letting her toes play in the soft, delicate waves of the lake.

"If you close your eyes, it's like he is still here, being his irritating self," joked Rachel, elbowing Annabeth playfully. Annabeth closed her eyes, and visualized her last day with Percy, before the crumbiest goddess of all stole him.

"_Percy! Let me down!" giggled Annabeth, her blonde hair falling around her shoulders. Percy had Annabeth thrown over his shoulder, and Annabeth was hitting his back lightly. He was walking away from the campfire, which had just ended, his black hair sweeping into his gorgeous eyes. His tanned and toned swimmers body walked effortlessly, as if Annabeth weighed nothing._

"_Nope," he said, his voice sending Annabeth's heart into overdrive. _

"_Seaweed Brain, I'm serious! Let me go! Where are you taking me!?" she said, her voice trying to remain strait, but a smile cracked over her lips._

"_It's a surprise, Wise Girl," Annabeth could imagine Percy smirking at himself. He knew that Annabeth hated surprises. She love to know things, and not knowing things killed her. Blame the fact that she was the daughter of Athena. Percy walked a little bit longer, and the Cabins came into view. Annabeth imagined people looking at the two, confused faces. Everyone who knew Annabeth understood her hatred for not being knowledgeable and also she hated being picked up. Percy was playing on a fine line._

_Percy was lucky that Annabeth was totally in love._

_Percy dropped Annabeth, who landed on her feet. She crossed her arms, her grey eyes swirling. She tapped her foot, wondering what was going on._

"_Goodnight, my darling, darling Wise Girl! I will see you tomorrow, and we can run rampant through the forest and do whatever your mind wants!" Percy planted a kiss on Annabeth's lips, and he tasted like the ocean. Annabeth placed her hands in his hair, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. When they pulled apart, Annabeth studied Percy's face; from his playful grin to his green eyes, that tossed and turned like the sea._

"_So why did you pick me up, to bring me here?" asked Annabeth, giving Percy a goodnight hug. He rested his chin on her head, and Annabeth pushed her head against his chest, listening to his heart._

"'_Cuz I wanted to" Percy smiled down, pulling away from Annabeth. He gave her hands a squeeze, walked her to her cabin, and then jogged off to the Poseidon Cabin, his hair bouncing._

"You are going to be happy," said Rachel, closing her eyes and soaking up the last rays of sun.

"What?" said Annabeth, looking at the strange Oracle.

"Well, yeah. You want to know how Perce is, the newbies want to know about Perce, so Apollo and me cooked up an idea. It's gonna be great," she said, a smile dancing across her face.

"Apollo and I," Annabeth corrected, "and what 'idea' did you 'cook up'?"

"You'll see, in like…. I don't know, maybe in like… 3…2…"

A bright white flash erupted, and Annabeth shut her eyes. When she opened them, she saw 12 huge thrones, a 20 foot tall person sitting in each seat. Annabeth looked around at the throne room that she herself had constructed, and she studied each God and Goddess sitting in their specific throne.

"Hello Annabeth," said her mother, Athena. She had grey eyes and blonde hair, which resembled Annabeth's.

"What is going on, Mother?" asked Annabeth. She turned to her right and saw Jason, Piper, and Leo, rubbing their heads. Looking to her left she saw Rachel, who stood there, unharmed, and a few other half bloods, including Katie Gardner, Travis and Connor Stoll, Thalia Grace, and Nico DiAngelo.

"Story time!" said Apollo, smiling down at the confused Demi Gods.

"What story?" asked Thalia, walking over to Annabeth. Thalia had spiky, black hair, and piercing blue eyes. She was the daughter of Zeus, but she became a hunter of Artemis, so Annabeth rarely sees her. She didn't bother to ask Thalia what she was doing not with the hunters; she just hugged her best friend.

"_The Sun of Neptune_" read Apollo, a book appearing in his hands.

"Neptune?" asked Jason, who was helping Piper off the ground.

"I figured we could read select chapters, so you guys can catch up with the Roman camp and our beloved child of Uncle P; Perseus Jackson," said Apollo, flipping through the book.

"Here we go…"


	2. Chapter 2

(A/N: ANYTHING BOLDED IS FROM THE BOOK. ALL BOLDED WORDS BELONG TO RICK RIORDAN)

**The snake haired ladies were starting to annoy Percy. They should have died three days ago when he dropped a crate of bowling balls on them at the Napa Bargain Mart.**

"Why did Perce try to kill monsters with bowling balls?" asked Connor.

"What Bargain Mart sells bowling balls?" asked Travis, receiving a smack on the head from Katie.

**They should have died two days ago when he ran over them with a police car in Martinez.**

The demigods who knew Percy shook their heads, while laughing. Leo laughed, imagining how awesome Percy was in person.

**They **_**definitely **_**should have died this morning when he cut off their heads in Tilden Park.**

"Riptide didn't kill monsters!?" shrieked Annabeth. No memories and no protection? Annabeth though the idea would kill her, right there on Mount Olympus. The gods looked to one another, nervously.

**No matter how many times Percy killed them and watched them crumble to powder, they just kept reforming like large evil dust bunnies. He couldn't even seem to outrun them.**

"They must be really fast, if Perce can't outrun them," said Katie

**He reached the top of the hill and caught his breath. How long since he's last killed them? Maybe 2 hours. They never seem to stay dead longer than that.**

"It's not just us," whispered Thalia to herself, catching Artemis's look.

**The past few days, he'd hardly slept. He's eaten whatever he could scrounge-vending machine gummy bears, stale bagels, even a Jack in the Crack burrito, which was a personal low.**

Nico whistled, "He once told me he would never eat one of those…"

**His clothes were torn, burned, and splattered with monster slime. He'd only survived this long because the two snake haired ladies- **_**gorgons, **_**they called themselves- couldn't seem to kill him either. Their claws didn't cut his skin. Their teeth broke whenever they tried to bite him. **

"His Achilles Curse!" Annabeth shouted, and received a few stares from the gods and goddesses. She looked at them and blushed. "I had forgotten," she said, earning a few mock gasps from the Stoll's.

**But Percy couldn't keep going much longer. Soon he's collapse from exhaustion, and then-as hard as he was to kill, he was pretty sure the gorgons would find a way.**

"Oh, come on, Perce! Don't think like that," scolded Hermes, shaking his head, while his two snakes withered around his cell phone.

**Where to run? He scanned his surroundings. Under different circumstances, he might've enjoyed the view. To the left, golden hills rolled inland, dotted with lakes, woods, and a few herds of cows. To his right, the flatlands of Berkeley and Oakland marched west-a vast checkerboard of neighborhoods, with several million people who probably didn't want their morning interrupted by two monsters and a filthy demigod.**

"He's probably right," shrugged Demeter, with a few nods from others.

**Farther west, San Francisco glittered under a silvery haze. Past that, a wall of god had swallowed most of San Francisco, leaving just the tops of skyscrapers and the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.**

Annabeth shuddered at the memories in San Francisco. Artemis and Thalia looked at her, and their eyes gleamed with sad knowledge.

"Bad memories," whispered Annabeth.

**A vague sadness weighed on Percy's chest. Something told him he's been to San Francisco before.**

"Hey Annabeth, Percy's heart remembers saving you from Atlas!" said Travis, trying to make Annabeth feel better,

**The city had some connection to Annabeth-the only person he could remember from his past.**

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Aphrodite put a hand on her heart, and fanned herself. Annabeth couldn't help but beam. Percy remembered Annabeth!

"That's adorable!" said Piper, then quickly realizing what she said, and blushing.

"You _are_ my daughter, sweetheart," Aphrodite smiled proudly.

**His memory of her was frustratingly dim. The wolf had promised he would see her again and regain his memory-**_**if**_** he succeeded in his journey.**

"Annie! He is going on a journey to remember you!" Thalia said, giving Annabeth a hug.

Behind her blush, Annabeth said "Don't call me Annie,"

**Should he try to cross the bay?**

**It was tempting. He could feel the power of the ocean just over the horizon. Water had always revived him. Salt water was the best.**

"That's my boy," Poseidon smiled proudly, thinking of the waves of an ocean, to calm himself down. Thinking of his son, lost and confused, made him sad.

**He discovered that two days ago when he had strangled a sea monster in the Carquinez Strait. If he could reach the bay, he might be able to make a last stand. Maybe even drown the gorgons.**

"GO TO THE WATER!" screamed Poseidon, before realizing that he was screaming at a book. His son wasn't hear and couldn't hear him, unfortunately.

"He strangled a sea monster?" marveled Jason.

**But the shore was at least two miles away. He'd have to cross an entire city. He hesitated for another reason. The she-wolf Lupa had taught him to sharpen his senses-to trust the instincts that had been guiding him south.**

Jason smiled, remembering Lupa, and her lessons that he still remembered today.

**His homing radar was tingling like crazy now. The end of his journey was close-almost right under his feet. But how could that be? There was nothing on the hilltop. The wind changed. Percy caught the sour scent of reptile. A hundred yards down the slope, something rustled through the woods-snapping branches, crunching leaves, hissing. Gorgons.**

"Why does he always get the worst monsters!?" cried out Annabeth

**For the millionth time, Percy wished their noses weren't so good. They had always said they could smell him because he was a demigod-the half-blood son of some old Roman god.**

"Roman?" questioned Poseidon, as his form flickered a little bit. "He is Greek,"

**Percy had tried rolling in mud, splashing through creeks, even keeping air-freshener sticks in his pockets so he'd have that new car smell**

"Percy, Percy, Percy. You can't get rid of your smell that easily. Your father smells," said Zeus.

"You smell just as bad," pointed out Poseidon

"Just read, Apollo,"

**But apparently demigod stink was hard to mask. He scrambled to the west side of the summit. It was too steep to descend. The slope plummeted eighty feet, strait to the rood of an apartment complex built in to the hillside. Fifty feet below that, a highway emerged from the hill's base and wound its way toward Berkeley.**

"Why is he in Cali?" asked Rachel, confused. She was told that the west was dangerous for demigods.

Jason, not wanting to spoil anything, remained silent.

**Great. No other way off the hill. He'd managed to get himself cornered. He stared at the stream of cars flowing west toward San Francisco and wished he were in one of them. Then he realized the highway must cut through the hill. There must be a tunnel… right under his feet.**

"He actually said something smart?" joked Annabeth, making Athena laugh at her daughter's witty comment.

**His internal radar went nuts.**

"Percy himself went nuts," said Nico, and everyone laughed but Jason.

"It's true. As Roman demigods we are trained to strengthen our gut senses, and trained to listen to them," he stated,

**He **_**was**_** in the right place, just too high up. He had to check out that tunnel. He needed a way down to the highway-fast.**

"I say jump" said Ares.

"The fall would kill him," stated Athena

Ares shrugged, "jump"

"HOW DARE YOU-"

"Poseidon, stay calm," said Zeus, placing a hand on Poseidon's chest.

**He slung off his backpack. He'd managed to grab a lot of supplies at the Napa Bargain Mart: a portable GPS, duct tape, lighter, superglue, water bottle, camping roll, a comfy Panda Pillow Pet (as seen on TV)**

"Why does he need a Pillow Pet? He's so weird," muttered Thalia

"That I can agree on," said Nico, thinking of Percy walking around with a Pillow Pet sticking out of his backpack.

**And a Swiss army knife-pretty much every tool a modern demigod could want.**

The demigods laughed, thinking of Percy and his supplies.

**But he had no parachute or a sled.**

"Connor, make note: we need to make a mini mart that sells parachutes. For demi-gods passing by, in need of a parachute, for jumping off of cliffs,"

**That left him two options: jump eighty feet to his death, or stand and fight. Both options sounded pretty bad.**

"Stand and fight, you wimp!" said Ares, receiving glares from everyone except from his own kids, and Dionysus, who wasn't paying much attention.

**He cursed and pulled his pen from his pocket.**

Annabeth smiled, remembering Riptide. She missed Percy's glowing sword clashing against her knife. She wanted so badly to beat Percy at sparring. She swore to herself that when she saw Percy she was going to tackle him to the crowd, just like old times.

**The pen didn't look like much, just a regular cheap ballpoint, but when Percy uncapped it, it grew into a glowing bronze sword. The blade balanced perfectly. The leather grip fit his hand like it has been designed for him. Etched along the guard was an Ancient Greek word Percy somehow understood: **_**Anaklusmos-**_**Riptide.**

"I miss Riptide," sighed Thalia.

"I don't miss being on the receiving end of that sword…" mentioned Nico.

"His sword is a pen!?" said Leo, his voice damp with awe.

**He'd woken up with this sword his first night at the Wolf House-two months ago? More? He'd lost track of time. He'd found himself in the courtyard of a burned-out mansion in the middle of the woods, wearing shorts, an orange T-shirt, and a leather necklace with a bunch of clay beads.**

Annabeth smiled, as she remembered Percy picking her up and carrying her.

_That's right! He was wearing his orange shirt!_ She thought to herself, fingering her own clay bead. She looked down and noticed the bead she was playing with.

A black bead with a green trident.

"We were at the Wolf House!? How could we have not found him!?" screamed Thalia, sparks flying off her fingers.

**Riptide had been in his hand, but Percy had had no idea of how he'd gotten there, and only the vaguest idea of who he was.**

"At least he had a vague idea," noted Jason, who woke up with not even the slightest knowledge of his name. Piper help his hand.

**He'd been barefoot, freezing, and confused.**

Poseidon paled, hurt that he let his son go through the pain.

Annabeth held back tears.

The demigods all got a new interest in their feet, imagining Percy's pain.

**And then the wolves came… Right next to him, a familiar voice jolted him back to the present: "There you are!" Percy stumbled away from the gorgon, almost falling off the edge of the hill.**

Annabeth stiffened.

**It was the smiley one- Beano.**

"There is no gorgon names Beano," said Athena and Annabeth at the same time.

"Wow, she looks and acts like you," noted Poseidon.

"Same as Percy with you; It's because we are their parents," Athena said, as if she was pointing out the obvious. Poseidon crossed his arms.

"It's like watching Perce and Annie!" Thalia whispered to Nico, who snickered.

**Okay her name wasn't really Beano. As near as Percy could figure, he was dyslexic, because words got twisted around when he tried to read.**

**The first time he'd seen the gorgon, posing as a Bargain Mart greeter with a big green button that read: **_**Welcome! My name is STHENO, **_**he'd thought it said BEANO. She was still wearing her green Bargain Mart employee vest over a flower-print dress.**

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed Aphrodite, making everyone cover their ears. When the coast was clear, the demigods slowly took their hands away from their ears.

"Floral?" asked Aphrodite, in a scared voice.

**If you looked at her body, you might think she was somebody's dump old grandmother-until you looked down and realized she had rooster feet. Or you looked up and saw the bronze boar tusks sticking out of the corners of her mouth. Her eyes glowed red, and her hair was a writhing nest of bright green snakes.**

Katie shuddered. She hated snakes, and she could only imagine how scared she would be in that situation.

She could imagine how scared Percy must be in the situation.

**The most horrible thing about her?**

"What could be worse than the dress!?" shuddered Aphrodite, making Piper roll her eyes at her mom.

**She was still holding her big silver platter of free samples: Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners. Her platter was dented from all the times Percy had killed her, but those little samples looked perfectly fine. Stheno just kept totting them across California so she could offer Percy a snack before she killed him.**

"I really don't understand monsters…" said Thalia, who has seen more monsters than most demigods, being an immortal hunter of them.

**Percy didn't know why she kept doing that, but is he ever needed a suit of armor, he was going to make it out of Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners. They were indestructible.**

The throne room shook with all the laughter. Apollo and Hermes fell off their thrones, clutching their stomachs. Even Hera and Athena, the most collected goddesses, broke down in laughter, tears falling from their eyes.

"Uncle P, I love your boy!" screamed Hermes, making Poseidon smile proudly at the thought of his son.

"**Try on?" Stheno offered. Percy fended her off with his sword. "Where's your sister?" "Oh, put the sword away," Stheno chided. "You know by now that even Celestial bronze can't kill us for long. Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener! They're on sale this week, and I'd hate to kill you on an empty stomach,"**

"Well that's…..thoughtful?" questioned Katie, as Annabeth tried to slow down her beating heart. Percy was in danger, and he was all alone. Annabeth wasn't there to help him in his time of need.

"**Stheno!" The second gorgon appeared on Percy's right so fast, that he didn't have time to react. Fortunately she was too busy glaring at her sister to pay him much attention. "I told you to sneak up on him and kill him!" Stheno's smile wavered. "But, Euryale…" She said the name so it rhymed with **_**Muriel**_**. "Can't I give him a sample first?"**

"Priorities," Nico shook his head at the idiocy of the monster.

"**No, you imbecile!" Euryale turned toward Percy and bared her fangs. Except from her hair, which was a nest of coral snakes instead of green vipers, she looked exactly like her sister. Her Bargain Mart vest, her flowery dress, even her tusks were decorated with 50% off stickers. Her name badge read: **_**Hello! My name is DIE DEMIGOD SCUM!**_

"Very inconspicuous. I like it," said Connor, making some of the demigods laugh, and Hermes smiled at his son.

"**You've led us on quite the chase, Percy Jackson," Euryale said. "But now you're trapped, and we'll have our revenge!"**

"Revenge for what?" asked Piper, and the demigods who knew Percy looked at the floor. They all heard the stories from Percy's first quest, and the struggle at Aunty Em's Gnome Emporium.

"**The Cheese 'n' Wieners are only $2.99," Stheno added helpfully. "Grocery department, aisle three," Euryale snarled. "Stheno, the Bargain Mart was a **_**front**_**. You're going native! Now, put down that ridiculous tray and help me kill this demigod. Or have you forgotten that he's the one who vaporized Medusa?"**

"Medusa!?" asked Leo, his eyes bulging out his head. Annabeth shuddered at the memory, and Rachel gave her a hug. Nobody acknowledged Leo.

**Percy stumbled back. Six more inches, and he'd be tumbling through thin air. "Look, ladies, we've been over this. I don't even **_**remember**_** killing Medusa. I don't remember anything! Can't we just call a truce and talk about your weekly specials?"**

"Nice, Perce. Real smooth," smiled Poseidon.

"well he is your son," grumbled Ares. Poseidon glared at him, and he sent a small ball of water sailing at him. Ares stood up, ready for a fight, but Zeus glared at him. He grunted, and sat back down, mumbling about Poseidon being a stupid 'fish face'.

**Stheno gave her sister a pouty look, which was hard to do with giant bronze tusks. "Can we?" "No!" Euryale's red eyes bored into Percy. "I don't care what you remember, son of the sea god. I can smell Medusa's blood on you. It's faint, yes, several years old, but **_**you**_** were the last one to defeat her. She **_**still**_** has not returned from Tartarus. It's your fault!"**

"so he really defeated Medusa? The actual Medusa?" asked Leo, playing with a flame in his fingers.

"Yeah, with my help," said Annabeth. "Without me, he would be stone,"

**Percy didn't really get that. The whole "dying then returning from Tartarus" concept gave him a headache. Of course so did the idea that a ballpoint pen turned into a sword, or that monsters could disguise themselves with something called the mist, or that Percy was the son of a barnacle-encrusted god from five thousand years ago.**

All the gods erupted in laughter. "Even your son thinks you an old barnacle beard!" boomed Zeus, laughing.

Poseidon blushed, "oh, come on! He doesn't have memory. That's not how he views me! I don't even have a beard!"

**But he **_**did**_** believe it. Even though his memory was erased, he knew he was a demigod the same way he knew his name was Percy Jackson.**

"Man! Why does he get to remember his name!" whined Jason. Piper gave him a kiss on the cheek, making Aphrodite squeal.

**From his very first conversation with Lupa the world, he'd accepted that his crazy messed-up world of gods and monsters was his reality. Which pretty much sucked.**

All the demigods nodded, and the gods and goddesses looked down at their kids, sad for their awful lives, which many times led to unfortunate deaths.

"**How about we call it a draw?" he said. "I can't kill you. You can't kill me. If you're Medusa's sisters-like **_**the**_** Medusa who turned people to stone-shouldn't I be petrified by now?"**

"Percy! I thought I told you about Medusa's sisters!" complained Annabeth.

"He can barely remember to tie his shoes, you think he can remember mythology? He is dating you for a reason!" said Connor.

Annabeth punched him in the arm.

"**Heros!" Euryale said with disgust. "They always bring that up, just like our mother! 'Why can't you turn people to stone? Your **_**sister**_** can turn people to stone!' Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, boy! That was Medusa's curse alone. **_**She**_** was the most hideous one in the family. She got all the luck!" Stheno looked hurt. "Mother said **_**I**_** was the most hideous."**

"WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE MOST HIDEOUS!?" screeched Aphrodite, as is she was watching a horror movie. Athena rolled her eyes "In the culture of gorgons, hideous is equivalent to beauty"

"BOR-RING!" boomed Ares, causing Athena to sneer at him. Poseidon shivered. He had been on the receiving end of that stare, and no way was it something that made you happy. Her grey eyes would swirl, like dark thunderclouds, about to deliver an earth rattling storm.

"**Quiet!" Euryale snapped "As for you, Percy Jackson, it's true you bear the mark of Achilles. That makes you a little tougher to kill. But don't worry. We'll find a way!" "The mark of what?" "Achilled," Stheno said cheerfully. "Oh he was gorgeous! Dipped in the River Styx as a child, you know, so he was invulnerable except for a tiny spot on his ankle. That's what happened to you, dear/ Someone must've dumped you in the Styx and made your skin like iron. But not to worry. Heros like you always have a weak spot. We just have to find it, and then we can kill you. Won't that be lovely? Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener!"**

"Why is she so caught up on the mini hot dogs?" asked Artemis. Apollo rolled his eyes.

"I don't know, sis? Maybe because they ROCK!" Artemis glared at him, her silver eyes cutting into his blue ones.

**Percy tried to think. He didn't remember any dip in the Styx. Then again he didn't remember much of anything. His skin didn't feel like iron, but it would explain how he's help out so long against the gorgons. Maybe if he just fell down the mountain…would he survive? He didn't want to risk it-not without something to slow the fall. Or a sled, or…. He looked at Stheno's large silver platter of free samples. Hmm…**

"Oh PLEASE don't tell me he's going to do what I assume he is going to do!" groaned Annabeth, while Poseidon frowned. _What is he planning?_ He thought. His son could have great ideas, but also really crummy ones. Mostly crummy ones…

"**Reconsidering?" Stheno asked. "Very wise, dear. I added some gorgon's blood to these, so your death will be quick and painless."**

"I want me some gorgon blood" said Travis to Connor, making Hermes smile and Demeter and Katie rolled their eyes.

**Percy's throat constricted. "You added your blood to the cheese 'n' Wieners?" "Just a little." Stheno smiled. "A tiny nick on my arm, but you're sweet to be concerned. Blood from our right arm can cure anything, you know, but blood from out left side is deadly-" "You dimwit!" Euryale screeched. "You're not supposed to tell him that! Now he won't eat the wieners if you tell him they're poisoned!" Stheno looked stunned. "He won't? But I said it would d be quick and painless."**

"Oh that makes it all better?" joked Leo, earning a laugh from a few demigods.

"**Never mind! Euryale's fingernails grew into claws. "We'll kill him the hard way-just keep slashing until we find the weak spot. Once we defeat Percy Jackson, we'll be more famous than Medusa! Our patron will reward us greatly!"**

"Would they really be that famous for killing Percy?" asked Piper, and Annabeth answered "Due to the types of monsters he killed, and the amount, yeah they would be pretty famous," Piper's eyes swirled with admiration, and Jason nodded his head approvingly.

**Percy gripped his sword. He'd have to time his move perfectly-a few seconds of confusion, grab the platter with is left hand... Keep them talking, he thought.**

"**Before you slash me to bits," he said "who's this patron you mentioned?" Euryale sneered, "The goddess Gaea, of course! The one who brought us back from oblivion! You won't live long enough to meet her, but your friends below will soon face her wrath. Even now, her armies are marching south. At the feast of Fortune, she'll awaken and the demigods will be cut down like- like-" "Like our low prices at Bargain Mart!" Stheno suggested.**

"Wow, she really is sticking with the Bargain Mart thing," mentioned Poseidon, imagining his son's frustration.

"**Gah!" Euryale stormed toward her sister. Percy took the opening. He grabbed Stheno's platter, scattering poisoned Cheese 'n' Wieners, and slashed Riptide across Euryale's waist, cutting her in half. He raised the platter, and Stheno found herself facing her own greasy reflection. "Medusa!" she screamed.**

"Idiots" mumbled Nico, shaking his head. Poseidon sighed.

**Her sister Euryale had crumbled to dust, but she was already starting to reform, like a snowman un-melting. "Stheno, you fool!" she gurgled as her half-made face rose from the mound of dust "That's just your own reflection! Get him!" Percy slammed the metal tray on top of Stheno's head, and she passed out cold.**

"Way to go, Perce! Knock them gorgons out!" said Travis, his hands in the air.

**He put the platter behind his butt, said a silent prayer to whatever Roman god oversaw stupid sledding tricks,**

"CALL IT!" screamed Hermes and Apollo at the same time.

**And jumped off the side of the hill.**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:

Anything underlined is events that take place in the video portrayal of the book.

_Son of Neptune_ belongs to Rick Riordan

ENJOY!

"I wish I could see Percy. Reading isn't the same," said Annabeth, louder than she thought. She blushed, and looked away from her mother; She had just said she would rather watch that read. She was embarrassed, standing there in front of her mother.

Before Athena could react, Apollo said, "I agree! How about we turn this into a movie? Like a montage of the parts I was going to read!"

Artemis spoke up, "How are you going to pull of that?"

"Like this," Apollo made a projector appear, and he spun the book on his finger like a basketball. It melted into a DVD, and he put it into the projector. He snapped, and a screen appeared. A couple of seats appeared in front of the projector, for the demigods to sit in.

"Ladies, and Gentlemen, Gods and Goddesses; I present to you; select scenes from Percy Jackson's life at Camp Jupiter,"

The lights flickered off, and the demigods shuffled to their seats. The screen lit up, and Percy appeared on screen. Annabeth smiled, tears of joy forming in her eyes. She wiped them away with the back of her hand before anyone could notice.

The scene was him sliding down the hill, and Annabeth's heart constricted in her chest.

Percy was flying down the hill, his orange tee shirt in shatters, a slash going right down his chest, showing his 6 pack. His jeans were ripped at the knees, and all over the legs. He had a crazed, terrified look in his green eyes, and his black hair flew behind him. He was nearing the point of collision, when he swerved, the plate flying one way, and Percy the other.

He rolled down towards the highway, and the wind pushed him to the side, just enough for him to miss the oncoming traffic, and fly into bushes.

Everyone turned to face Zeus.

"You stopped his fall?" asked Poseidon, thankful for his brother. 5 years ago, Zeus was trying to kill his son, and now he had saved him from a terrible death, his memories absent.

"SH! Watch the movie!"

Percy groaned, and sat up, rubbing his head. He had a look in his face that told everyone watching that he had completely given up. He seemed like he just wanted to pass out, and sleep, but he forced himself up, taking a few deep breaths. Struggling to his feet, he looked at his hands, which were cut up. He didn't seem to have any broken bones, and he was thankful for that. He shouldered his backpack, which he still had, miraculously.

Looking up the hill, Percy saw the gorgons, uglier than people thought possible.

Aphrodite almost passed out, looking at the fashion catastrophe that was before her.

The gorgons were making their way down the hill, a lot slower, but with much more control. Percy had maybe 5 minutes before the gorgons reached him.

He looked to his side, and saw a chain link fence, that separated a town from the highway. He looked at a big hole, and his eye brows scrunched together, thinking of possibilities.

The movie paused. Everyone turned to Apollo, who had a remote in one hand, and a bucket of popcorn in the other.

"Just so everyone knows, I'll read Percy's thoughts from the book for this one scene," said Apollo, taking out another copy of the book, putting his popcorn down.

**Percy could easily slip through into the neighborhood. Maybe he could find a car and drive west to the ocean. He didn't like stealing cars, but over the past few weeks, in life-or-death situations, he'd "borrowed" several, including a police cruiser. He'd meant to return them, but they never seemed to last very long.**

**He glanced east. Just as he'd figured, a hundred yards uphill the highway cut through the base of the cliff. Two tunnel entrances, one for each direction of traffic, stared down at him like eye sockets of a giant skull. In the middle, where the nose would have been, a cement wall jutted from the hillside, with a metal door like the entrance to a bunker**

"He found it!" Jason gushed, happy that Percy has found where to go.

"Your camp is in a tunnel?" questioned Annabeth, and Jason shrugged.

"Yours is in a strawberry field," he pointed out

"Touché"

"Play the movie!" called out Travis.

Apollo picked up his popcorn, and hit the play button. Percy came back to life.

He turned to the entrance that Apollo had described, and two kids came into view, flanking the entrance. Both were dressed in full roman armor, with purple tee shirts on underneath their breastplates.

"Do we look that weird wearing our armor with our orange shirts?" questioned Connor, while the gods all nodded; making the demigods give them annoyed stares.

Percy looked like he was deciding between running away, and stealing another car, or running to the two demigods wearing purple shirts, which matched Jason's.

He kept glancing from each option, when he decided to check on the gorgons. He looked up and he let out a breath of agitation. The gorgons were probably 3 minutes away, if Annabeth's calculations were correct.

To get to the two kids, he would have to cross the highway, and he could make it before the gorgons got to him. His eyes seemed to be longing to run to the bay, and jump in, escape the weird feeling that he didn't belong.

Annabeth wanted to shout to Percy; _Don't run away! Get to that camp! We will be there soon!_

"You're right, of course," said an old lady, siting in the bushed. Percy jumped, obviously oblivious to the lady.

Hera sat up a little straighter, recognizing this scene.

This lady was more repulsive than the gorgons, and Aphrodite threw up into a bag, which she instantly made disappear. She reapplied her make up, and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

The lady wore a tie died dress, which had patches of quilt and plastic bags. Her gray-brown hair was a frizzy mop on her head, and was tied back with a peace sign headband, that was never in style. She had warts and moles all over her face, and she had all of 3 teeth.

"It isn't a maintenance tunnel. It's the entrance to camp," she confirmed

"Yeah! My camp!" said Jason, smiling at the memories he had there.

Back in the film, Percy stiffened. The word Camp was familiar to him. Annabeth could see his eyes swirl, in the way they do when he is thinking about Annabeth.

The gorgons shrieked in delight, making Percy turn around. He turned back to the tunnel.

"Not much time, child. You need to make your choice," said the old lady.

"Who are you?" Percy asked, his eyes hard.

"Call me June. It _is_ June, isn't it? They named the month after me," Her eyes twinkled.

The gods, Jason, and the Athena kids gasped, and turned to Hera.

"Pay attention to the film," she chided.

"Okay…Look, I should go. Two gorgons are coming and I don't want them to hurt you" Percy said, making everyone smile. He was always trying to keep others safe.

June put her hands on her heart, "How sweet! But that's part of your choice!"

Percy looked confused, as if he had never heard those words before, "My choice…" Percy glanced at the hill, the gorgons had grown wings. Since when did they have wings?

"Yes, a choice," said June, in no hurry at all.

"Come on, Lady! Percy is going to die if you don't start making sense!" yelled Nico, receiving a nod of agreement from Thalia. "SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" said Annabeth, who wanted to hear what the lady was saying. Demigods don't get choices, and Annabeth was intrigued.

"You could leave me here at the mercy of the gorgons and go to the ocean. You'd make it safely, I guarantee. The gorgons will be quite happy to attack me and let you go. In the sea, no monster would bother you. You could begin a new life, live to a ripe old age, and escape a great deal of pain and misery that is in your future,"

"DO IT!" said Poseidon, clutching his trident. He wanted his son to live a safe life, and he didn't want his life to end in tragedy. That's why he named him _Perseus_.

"Poseidon, think rationally," scolded Athena, with a nod from the other goddesses.

"Imagine, Athena, if your children could remain safe for their lives if they went to a library. Or Demeter, if your kids would stay safe in a barn! Or even you, Aphrodite, if your girls and boys could stay away from all the monsters that threaten to kill them if they stayed in a mall,"

The goddesses all nodded. They hated seeing their kids being killed in such horrific manners, and if they could stay safe they would want their kids to be there. They could relate to Poseidon, who loved Percy more than anyone.

On the screen, Percy eyed the water. He looked longingly at the bay, while he slowly said "Or?". Annabeth could tell he wasn't looking forward to the other option.

"Or you could do a good deed for an old lady. Carry me to the camp with you,"

"Carry you!?" asked Percy, sounding more dreadful than he wanted to.

The demigods all held in giggles, as June hiked up her skirt, showing off her swollen, purple feet.

"HAHAHAH PERCY! OH DEAR GODS THAT'S GREAT! HE HAS THE WORST OF LUCK!" Thalia was laughing so hard, she was clutching her sides, tears rolling down her eyes.

"I can't get there by myself. Carry me to camp-across the highway, through the tunnel, across the river," said June, smiling up at Percy, who looked confused-as per usual.

"What river?" asked Connor.

"There is a river-" started Jason, before he was cut off by Connor who screamed "SPOILER ALERT!"

"_You_ are the one who asked!" complained Jason, his hands in surrender.

"You not supposed to answer!" replied back Travis, as if Jason should know better.

"Well then I guess you will find out where the river is soon," replied Jason, who started to play with Pipers braids. Piper had rest her head on Jason's chest, and Aphrodite squealed to herself in delight.

Percy looked up at the gorgons, only 50 yards away. "And I'd carry you to this camp because-?

"Because it's a kindness! And if you don't, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed. Of course, you wouldn't remember them, so I suppose it won't matter. You'd be safe at the bottom of the sea…"

"10 drachma Perce is going to go to camp," whispered Connor to Travis.

"You're on! No way will Percy give up water," Travis and Connor shook hands.

The gorgons shrieked with laughter as the soared towards Percy.

He shuffled nervously, "If I go to the camp, will I get my memory back?"

"So he can remember all of Annabeth," smiled Will Solace, to the Stoll's.

"Oh shut up!" said Annabeth, who rolled her eyes. Inwardly, she felt her heart jump. What if he did want to remember so he could see all of Annabeth, not just flashes.

"Eventually. But be warned, you will sacrifice much! You'll lose the mark of Achilles. You'll feel pain, misery, and loss beyond anything you've ever known. But you might have a chance to save your old friends and family, to reclaim your old life,"

"That's not possible, is it?" asked Nico, who witnessed Percy receive the mark, in the underworld. After Percy forgave his betrayal….

"What's not possible?" asked Piper

"I have never head of somebody losing the Mark of Achilles…" whispered back Nico, who was shocked to learn something he didn't know about the underworld.

The gorgons were circling Percy and June, probably wondering who June was.

"What about those guards at the door?" asked Percy, quizzically.

"Oh, they'll let you in dear. You can trust those two. So, what do you say? Will you help a defenseless old woman?"

"Using the defenseless card on Perce? That's low," joked Annabeth, and Thalia agreed with her. Percy would never leave someone defenseless. Memory, or not, that's not who he is.

He is a hero.

After looking between the sea and the gates, June and the gorgons, he sighed. He hiked up his backpack, and said "I'll carry you".

Travis gave Connor 10 drachmas.

He scooped June up, and Percy looked like he was going to throw up. Her calloused hands were clinging to his neck, and by the look on her face, her breath didn't smell like flowers. He started walking through the traffic. Cars honked, people shouted, but Percy didn't care.

Annabeth held her breath. Percy had done a lot of stupid things, but crossing busy traffic with an ugly, old lady in his arms was one of the stupidest. She gritted her teeth together, her nerves racked.

Percy was almost to the median, when a shadow over came him, and the ugly, old hag.

"Clever boy! Found a goddess to carry, did you?" shouted down Stheno, who cackled gleefully.

"A GODDESS!?" shouted everyone in the room.

"June…Juno… Hera!" shouted Piper, who had connected the dots. The god's, Athena cabin, and Jason nodded.

"Juno?" asked Travis and Connor.

"It's Hera's Roman form," answered Jason, and the dots connected in everyone else's brain.

"Why do you meddle in my son's life!" asked Poseidon, an angry green aura surrounding him.

Hera smiled, "I can't give away any spoilers, dear Poseidon,"

June cackled, an ugly witches laugh and muttered "Whoops!" as a car almost killed Percy on impact. Percy broke out in a full sprint past the remaining lanes, somehow making it alive to the median.

"Hey, Annie, I know your nervous, but would you mind _not_ trying the break my arm?" asked Thalia.

Annabeth looked down and noticed she was gripping Thalia's arm. She released, and a bruise started to form.

"Gods, Annie, you're lucky I like you," muttered Thalia, rubbing her new bruise. Annabeth quietly apologized.

Percy ran up to the door, and Annabeth could practically hear his heart panting, his face turning pink with exhaustion.

One of the guard notched an arrow, and Percy shouted "Wait!" He obviously thought that the boy was aiming at him. But the boy had his arrow focused on the gorgon. The arrow flew over Percy's head, in a perfect line, and a gorgon wailed in pain. The second guard gestured frantically for Percy to hurry.

Hermes whistled, "Apollo is that kid one of yours?"

"Don't think so," replied Apollo, while Ares stiffened, realizing that the guard was his son; His Roman form's son, actually.

Euryale was a foot from Percy, and screeched "Gotcha!" when an arrow lodged itself in her head. A truck slammed into her, and she was thrown into the air, yanking the arrow out of her skull.

"Thanks. Good Shot," Percy noted, reaching the door.

"That should've killed her!" the archer protested.

"Welcomed to my world," Percy grumbled, catching his breath.

"Frank, get them inside quick! Those are gorgons!" said the girl, bravely.

"Smart girl," noted Athena.

"Gorgons?" the archer squeaked, "Will the door hold them?"

Ares buried his head in his hands, embarrassed by his Roman's son anxiety in battle.

"No, no it won't. Onward, Percy Jackson! Through the tunnel, over the river!" June laughed, her cackle of a laugh.

The girl, who looked about 13, had dark skin and curly hair sticking out the sides of her helmet. "Percy Jackson? Okay, you're obviously a demigod. But who's the-?" glancing at June, she shook her head, "Never mind. Just get them inside. I'll hold them off,"

"Very brave," noted Zeus, nodding approvingly.

"Damn, she got my dad's approval," Thalia seemed showed, but honestly pleased.

"Hazel, don't be crazy," the boy said.

"GO!" she demanded.

Frank cursed in Latin, and opened the door. "Come on,"

"What did he say?" asked Leo.

"Not a good word," replied Jason.

Percy staggered in, the woman obviously tiring him out. He seemed completely drained of energy.

The door opened, and the inside looked like a normal maintenance tunnel, but at the end there was a square of daylight. Percy's arms started to shake, as if the lady had gained 100 pounds.

"If Percy can't carry her, than she is one heavy lady," said Travis to Katie, quiet enough so Hera didn't hear. Katie smacked Travis.

June was mumbling a Latin song, like a lullaby, which didn't seem to help Percy.

Hazel shouted from the entrance, and Percy looked like he wanted to help, but he was too tired. Plus, the tunnel shook. The gorgons made an odd noise, and Percy looked back to see the tunnel covered in dust.

"shouldn't we check on Hazel?" Percy asked

"Always trying to help," said Annabeth, a smile on her face.

"She'll be okay- I hope. She's good underground. Just keep moving! We're almost there," said Frank.

"Almost where?"

"All roads lead there, child. You should know that," June chuckled.

"Detention?" Percy guessed.

The room, once again, shook with laughter.

"Only with Percy do roads lead to detention!" claimed Nico,

"That's because he is a Seaweed Brain," said Annabeth, with a chuckle from Athena.

"Know-it-all" mumbled Poseidon, who was still smiling from his son.

"Kelp Brain" whispered back Athena.

Poseidon received a look from Zeus, so he didn't respond. He hated giving Athena the last word.

"Rome, child. Rome," the old woman said. Percy looked confused. He knew that Rome wasn't in California.

Jason smiled, loving his Roman ancestry.

Percy and Frank finally made it to the light at the end of the tunnel (Pun not intended). At his feet was a bowl-shaped valley several miles wide. The basin floor was rumpled with smaller hills, golden plains, and stretched of forest. A small clear river cut a winding course from a lake in the center and around the perimeter, like a capital G. A cluster of small white marble buildings with red roofs were clustered together, and there were also domes and porticoes scattered around. A huge Roman coliseum gleamed in the sun, next to a racetrack. There were temples scattered, and they gleamed in the sun.

"It's beautiful!" gushed Piper, while Annabeth awed over the architecture.

"That's Camp Jupiter for you," Jason smiled, happy to see his home.

"Camp Jupiter. We'll be safe once-" Frank said, before Hazel sprinted through the doorway. She was breathing hard, and her armor had slashes through it.

"I slowed them down, but they'll be here any second,"

"We have to get across the river!" Frank said.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh. The Riverrrrrrrrr" said the Stolls, who looked at Jason, who nodded.

"Oh, yes, please. I can't get my dress wet," June gripped Percy's neck tighter, and he looked repulsed.

They reached the river bed, and Percy stopped to catch his breath. The current was very fast, but the river wasn't very deep. He was almost to the camp.

"Go, Hazel. Escort Percy so the sentries don't shoot him. It's my turn to hold off the baddies,"

Ares smiled at his son's newfound bravery.

Hazel nodded, and wadded into the stream. Percy started to follow, but hesitated.

"Why isn't he diving in?" asked Poseidon, confused by his sons actions.

"He probably feels out of place. It is a Roman river, after all. He is a Greek demigod," said Athena, and Poseidon actually thought Athena made sense. Well she always made sense, being the goddess of wisdom, but her sense usually irritated Poseidon.

"The Little Tiber. It flows with the power of the original Tiber, rive of the empire. This is your last chance to back out, child. The mark of Achilles is a Greek blessing. You can't retain it if you cross into Roman territory," said June

Percy looked exhausted, "If I cross, I won't have iron skin anymore?"

"So what will it be? Safety or a future of pain and possibility?"

"Definitely the second choice," Thalia guessed, while Leo nodded. Leo hasn't been a demigod for long, but he knew that pain and possibility was all a demigod could look forward to. Safety didn't exists.

The gorgons screamed and hissed, and Frank let his arrows fly.

From the middle of the river, Hazel screamed "Percy, come on!"

Percy walked into the water, and instantly seemed stronger. He reached the other side, looking better than ever, and he set June down. The gates opened, and kids poured out.

Frank was halfway across the river when the gorgons got Frank, making Hazel yell. He screamed in pain, as the gorgons attacked him. The sentries yelled, but they wouldn't get a good shot.

Percy instantly thrust out his hands, and the Tiber obeyed his will.

"That's my boy," smiled Poseidon

"Epic" muttered Leo

"Amazing," said Piper

"Point for Jackson," said Jason, smiling impressively.

"Percy" Annabeth smiled dreamily.

The river surged, and whirlpools formed on either side of Frank. Giant water hands erupted from the stream, and copied Percy's movements. The giant water hands grabbed the gorgons, who dropped Frank. The Romans yelped, but Percy remained focused. He smashed his own hands, and the water hands copied his movements, plunging the monsters into the Little Tiber.

The gorgons hit the bottom, and exploded into dust. Parts tried to reform, but the river pulled them apart, like a blender. Percy broke concentration, and the whirlpools vanished, and the water went back to normal.

Percy stood on the river bank, his clothes and skin steamed as if the water was acid.

"That's how he looked after getting the mark of Achilles," noted Nico, making Annabeth cringe.

Frank stumbled around, but looked fine. Hazel helped him get out of the river. The other Romans had become remarkably quiet. Only June looked unfazed.

"Well, that was a lovely trip"

"Funny one, Hera," said Thalia, earning herself a goddess sized glare.

"Thank you, Percy Jackson, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter. A girl made a choking sound, "Percy…. Jackson?"

She seemed to recognize him, but Percy didn't know her. Well of course he didn't, he didn't even remember Thalia or Nico, and he barely remembered Annabeth.

The girl was obviously a leader, since she wore a purple cloak. She had long, dark hair, braided to the side, and piercing eyes.

"Oh, yes. You'll have such fun together!" June glowed, and began to change form. She became a 7 foot goddess, and she wore a blue dress, with a cloak of goatskin over her shoulders. The top of her staff had a lotus flower. All the Roman's knelt, except for Percy.

"Juno" Hazel said.

"Juno" replied the demigods, an irritated undertone to their voices.

"Juno, huh? If I passed your test, can I have my memory and my life back?" Percy said, making others gasp.

"Percy Jackson, ladies and gentlemen. A way with words, and quite respectful," announced Thalia, with nods from all from Camp Half Blood.

"Is he always like that?" asked Jason, who was taught respect as a moral.

"Yes," replied every god, goddess, and demigod.

"In time, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You've done well today, which is a good start. Perhaps there's hope for you yet. Romans: I present to you the son of Neptune. For months he had been slumbering, but now he is awake. His fate is in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle. Do not fail me!"

"Neptune?" asked Poseidon, facing Hera, who shrugged.

"Slumbering for months?" growled Annabeth, at her least favorite goddess.

"What battle?" asked Jason, who looked nervous for his camp.

The projector stopped, and turned black. Everyone turned to Apollo, who was finishing off his popcorn. Licking his buttery fingers, he said "The scene is changing, give it a second,"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Anything underlined is the movie representation of the book.

_The Son of Neptune_ belongs to Rick Riordan.

"So, my Greek demigods, are you enjoying the film?" asked Apollo, while Artemis rolled her eyes.

"What scene is next?" asked Annabeth, watching the loading circle in the middle of the scene.

"Well, Percy is going to meet somebody… But I can't give anything away," Apollo winked, as the lights went slowly down, and the scene began.

Annabeth wondered who Perce was going to meet, and if they were an enemy or not…

The young demigod with dark skin, black gold hair and golden eyes was walking with Percy. She was short next to Percy, but walked confidently.

"Let's go see my brother. He'll want to meet you," Percy nodded, his green eyes swirling. He seemed uncomfortable at this camp, and he was longing for his memories.

Hazel took Percy to a black crypt built into the side of the hill. A familiar boy in black jeans and an aviator jacket stood in front.

Nico shrunk down in his seat. Annabeth noticed, but said nothing. Nico acted weird, being the son of Hades and what not, it was hard to understand him sometimes.

He definitely seemed uneasy, picking at the buttons on his jacket. His aviator jacket…

Annabeth eyes popped open, and her jaw went slack.

The bow turned, and Percy seemed confused. His eyebrows furred together and he seemed to be trying to figure out where he had seen the boy before.

The boy had olive/pale skin, that accompanied his dark brown eyes, and black as night hair. He didn't look anything like Hazel. He wore a silver skull ring, a chain for a belt, and a black t-shirt with skulls all over it. He had a pure black sword at his side.

"Considering the fact that they don't look similar, their godly parent makes them siblings, I would assume," stated Athena. The immortal's all nodded, trying to figure out the parent.

All the demigods turned to Nico, who was trying to blend in with the darkness.

"Nico Di Angelo," growled Annabeth, staring at him with her storm clouds. If she had her knife, he would be skewered.

"I'm sorry! I had reason to not tell you," Nico whispered back.

For a quick second, the boy seemed to be panicked. His eyes were like deer caught in the headlights.

"This is Percy Jackson," said Hazel, not noticing the boys panic, "He's a good guy. Percy, this is my brother, the son of Pluto,"

"Ah, Hades' Roman form is their father," noted Demeter, who hated Hades for stealing her immortal daughter, Persephone.

The boy got over his shock, and held out his hand.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Nico DiAngelo,"

"NICO!?" screamed the gods, and Nico almost passed out from fear. Never had so many people been mad at him since… well since ever.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL HIM!" asked Poseidon, his stare just like Percy's angry stare.

"I figured that a god or goddess had put him there and he had to figure everything out. I couldn't get in the way with his fate!" screamed Nico, standing his ground.

"The boy is right, Poseidon," said Athena, making Poseidon relax a little, his green eyes raging like a hurricane.

"Athena speaks the truth. It was part of my plan," said Hera, who smiled smugly in her throne.

Annabeth wished she had her dagger.

"Wait, Nico is not the son of Pluto…" said Katie.

Nico shrugged, "Pluto and Hades are very similar. I could pass for Pluto, but it's true, I am the son of Hades, not Pluto. 100% Greek, right here,"

Hazel seemed nervous, as if she introduced two bombs. She had grounds to be nervous, Percy and Nico had had a sketchy past. Plus, they were both children of the big three, and hence super powerful.

Percy scowled at Nico, "I-I know you,"

Nico raised his eyebrows, "Do you?" He looked at Hazel for an explaination.

"Good acting skills, Death Breath," mumbled Thalia.

Nico seemed to be trying hard to act casual, but he still seemed nervous as all else.

"Um… Percy's lost his memory," she told Nico, while Percy studied him. Hazel retold the events since Percy ran across the highway with Juno.

"So, Nico… I thought…. You know, you travel all over. Maybe you've met demigods like Percy before, or…"

Nico's expression turned dark, like death. His message was clear, 'Drop it'.

"Way to drop the subject," Annabeth said.

"Well I couldn't just tell them about Camp Half Blood," Nico said, his spine stiffened defensively.

"This story about Gaea's Army…you warned Reyna?" asked Nico

Percy nodded, "Who is Gaea anyway?"

"Seaweed Brain," mumbled Annabeth.

"Well he did lose his memory," tried Will.

Annabeth shook her head, "He wouldn't know who she was even if she had his memory,"

"It's because he has his father's brain," said Athena

"Excuse me!?" exclaimed Poseidon, his eyebrows raised.

"It's true,"

"No, it's not. I'm not an idiot!"

"Shhhh, you two! Stop arguing, you can do that tomorrow," scolded Zeus.

"She's the earth goddess. The oldest goddess of all. She's in a deep sleep most of the time, but she hates the gods and their children," Nico studied the ground, as if it was listening.

"Mother Earth….is evil?"

"I had the same reaction," Leo remembered when he thought Mother Earth was like Snow White, all sweet and happy. He was told he was very, very wrong.

"Very. She convinced her son, the Titan Kronos-um I mean Saturn-to kill his dad, Uranus, and take over the world. The titans ruled for a long time. Then the Titans' children, the Olympian gods, overthrew them" Nico said gravely.

"Nice slip," said Thalia, sure that Percy would remember his great battle with Kronos. Percy's confused look seemed to say otherwise.

"It's hard keeping Greek and Roman strait! You try!" said Nico, exasperated.

"That story seems familiar, but I don't think I ever heard the part about Gaea," Percy seemed surprised, like a memory had surfaced, but then buried itself again.

Nico shrugged, "She got mad when the gods took over. She took a new husband-Tartarus, the spirit of the abyss-and gave birth to a race of giants. They tried to destroy Mount Olympus, but the gods finally beat them. At least…. The first time,"

Annabeth shivered. She has read the stories about how terrible Tartarus was, and she couldn't imagine how awful his spirit was.

"The first time?" Percy asked. Nico glanced to Hazel, as if they shared a secret.

"Last summer, Saturn tried to make a comeback. There was a second Titan war. The Romans at Camp Jupiter stormed his headquarters on Mount Othrys, across the bay, and destroyed his throne. Saturn disappeared-" Nico stopped his story, and glanced nervously at Percy. He seemed nervous that Percy would recognize the story, and remember everything.

"He didn't disappear… Percy gave Luke my knife and destroyed him…" Annabeth said slowly. She had been in the room, and through her searing pain she managed to convince Perce to give Luke the knife.

The memory of Luke killing himself, and therefore Kronos, still gave her nightmares, and she woke up crying sometimes.

"Well, that's the Greek side. Over in California, I led the storm on Mount Othrys. We figured Kronos disappeared while you figured his headquarters crumbled. We were working together, and we didn't even know it," Jason summed up. He knew the truth about what happened on Mount Othrys. It was one of the last great memories he had. He and Reyna had worked so well together.

"Um, anyway, Saturn probably faded back to the abyss. We all thought the war was over. Now it looks like the Titans' defeat stirred up Gaea. She's starting to wake. I've heard reports of giants being reborn. If they mean to challenge the gods again, they'll probably start by destroying the demigods…"

The gods all glanced nervously at their kids. Each god was thinking about their girls and boys, and couldn't imagine them being destroyed-just because their parents were gods.

The demigods were unfazed. They were used to being threatened. They all went through a war last summer. They knew that they were all probably going to die sad deaths; that's the price that came along with have the cool abilities that they have.

"You've told Reyna this?" asked Percy.

"Of course. The Roman's don't trust me. That's why I was hoping she'd listen to you. Children of Pluto…well, no offense, but they think we're even worse than the children of Neptune. We're bad luck," Nico said.

"'Worse than the children of Neptune'? What's wrong with my Roman side?" asked Poseidon.

"Nothing, Lord Poseidon. It's just Roman's don't like water. They always travel by land…" Nico said carefully. He knew how temperamental Percy was, and he knew he got that from his Dad. The water was just as unpredictable as those two.

"It's true, Lord Neptune, ah I mean Poseidon. We never travel by water. We don't think highly of it. We prefer to fight on land…" Jason said, knowledgeable about Roman Battle Strategy.

Poseidon huffed and crossed his arms, not wanting to get involved in the fight. He knew just how powerful water was; Look at Percy. One of the most powerful demigods of all time. Poseidon thought he even had more power than Thalia or Jason, children of Zeus/Jupiter.

"They let Hazel stay here," Percy pointed out.

"That's different," replied Nico.

"Why?"

"Percy, look," Hazel cut into the conversation about her, "the giants aren't the worst problem. Even…even Gaea isn't the worst problem. The thing you noticed about the gorgons, how they wouldn't die, _that's_ our biggest worry," she looked at Nico.

"She is very wise," noted Athena, "She has great prioritizing skills, much like my own children, might I add," she smiled down at the blonde haired, grey eyed kids. They smiled back, blushing bashfully.

"Nico and I…we think that what's happening is…Death isn't-" Hazel began, before she was cut off by a shout.

Frank jogged into view, wearing jeans, a purple shirt, and a denim jacket. He was tall, but kind of pudgy. He was like a giant teddy bear.

"The way they look at each other…..They like each other! OH! They would be cute together," said Aphrodite, who was applying new shades of nail polish, and pairing up the demigods in her head. Aphrodite, of course, new the drama that would happen when the two of them came in contact with Leo, who had no idea of his, or his _bisabuelo's_ history with Hazel. She smiled to herself.

"Hey, Nico…."

"Frank," Nico smiled. Frank seemed the only one who wasn't nervous around Nico, and Nico appreciated that fact.

"I like Frank. He is the only one who accepted me there," whispered Nico to Thalia, who nodded.

"Well, being the child of 'Pluto' and a Greek demigod should make them uncomfortable around you," she whispered back.

"Reyna sent me to get Percy. Did Octavian accept you?" Frank said.

"Yeah. He slaughtered my panda," Percy said with a small frown.

"He….Oh. The augury? Yeah, teddy bears must have nightmares about that guy. But you're in! We even need to get you cleaned up before evening muster" Frank replied, looking at Percy's dirty, shredded clothes, and his muddy face.

"You're right. We'd better-" Hazel started.

Nico interrupted, "Frank, why don't you take Percy down? Hazel and I will be along soon,"

Percy looked at Nico, as if trying to place the memory, "I'd like to talk with you some more. I can't shake the feeling-"

"Sure, Later. I'll be staying overnight,"

"You were probably driving him crazy, you know," said Annabeth, leaning over and smacking Nico in the head.

"He had no memory! Everything drove him crazy!" Nico defended himself, for the umpteenth time.

Thalia smacked him on the head, "Don't talk back to her, she hasn't seen her boyfriend in 8 months!"

"I need to get a helmet, or something," muttered Nico, rubbing his head.

"You will?" Hazel blurted.

"Go on, Percy. Settle in. My sister and I need to talk," Nico and Hazel watched Frank lead Percy away, the two of them talking. When the two boys had left their field of vision, the siblings walked up the hill, and sat on their father's shrine's roof.

"You know him, don't you?" Hazel asked, letting her feet dangle.

Nico swung his feet like a little kid. He put his black sword next to Hazel's golden _spatha_.

"Percy Jackson. Hazel, I have to be careful of what I say. Important things are at work here," Nico said, slowly.

"See! I even give my reason there! I wanted to tell him who he was! I couldn't!" whined Nico, and the other demigods finally came to terms with Nico's choice.

"I guess I understand, Nico," said Annabeth, thinking rationally.

"Some secrets need to stay secret. You of all people-you should understand that,"

Hazel's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink, blushing from nerves. "He's not like…like me?"

"Like her?" Athena asked, her head cocking to the side. She absolutely hated not knowing things, since she was the goddess of wisdom. But this cursed Roman camp held so many secrets, and her Roman form, Minerva, was one of the least important goddesses, and she wasn't very welcome at the camp. They didn't believe in her Roman form's control; which was crafts; not wisdom. Romans didn't believe in crafts.

"Hazel… well she died in the 40's. Then I found her in the fields of asphodel when I was searching for Bianca…. I brought her back… She didn't deserve to die; which might be a scene you see in the book…" Nico said, his voice cracking when she mentioned Bianca, his biological older sister, who was also the daughter of Hades.

"…interesting…" muttered Athena to herself, trying to come up with possibilities of her death.

"No. I'm sorry I can't tell you more. I can't interfere. Percy has to find his own way at this camp," Nico explained to Hazel.

"Is he dangerous?" Hazel asked nervously. Her golden eyes shone like gold bricks.

Nico smiled dryly, "Very. To his enemies. But he's not a threat to Camp Jupiter. You can trust him,"

"Sums him up quite nicely," said Poseidon.

"Like I trust you," Hazel said, a little bitter.

Nico twisted his skull ring around his finger, like he did when he was upset. The bones on the roof started to quiver. When Nico got all moody, Nico had that effect on the dead.

"Look, I know this Is hard, but you have a second chance. You can make things right," Nico said, optimistically.

"Nothing about this is right! If they find out the truth about me-"

"They won't!" Nico promised, making Hazel smile a little bit. "They'll call a quest soon. They have to. You'll make me proud. Trust me, Bi-" He caught himself before he said _Bianca_.

Annabeth looked over at Nico, who was frowning, his eyes getting glassy. Annabeth witnessed Bianca's death, and knew that Bianca risked her life for Percy. Percy still beats himself up about it.

Nico's eyes always got glassy when he talked about Bianca, which was the only person Nico has ever fully trusted. He became a different person when he found out Bianca was dead.

"I'm sorry," Nico whispered, studying his feet.

"Then it's true about Death? Is Alcyoneus to blame?"

"I think so. It's getting bad in the underworld. Dad's going crazy trying to keep things under control. From what Percy said about the gorgons, things are getting worse up her, too. But look, that's why you're here. All that stuff in your past-you can make something good out of it! You belong at Camp Jupiter,"

The screen turned black, and the lights slowly came back on.

"Thank gods, that's over," said Nico, who sat uncomfortably and guarded during the whole scene.

"You're welcome!" said Apollo, laughing at himself and his joke. Nico rolled his eyes, carefully so the gods wouldn't see him.

"So who wants to place bets when Percy is going to remember his past!?" asked Hermes, who was all for bets, just like his sons.

"WHEN HE REACHED WATER!" yelled one boy.

"He's already been in water, remember? The sea monster strangling incident? I SAY WHEN HE GOES ON THE QUEST! He's obviously going on a quest, I mean its Percy. He always gets sucked up into those," said Connor, making sense for once.

"I SAY AT THE END OF THE BOOK, or I guess film. THAT'S WHEN JASON REMEMBERED!" countered Travis.

A few other demigods, mostly from the Hermes cabin, placed bets. Apollo wasn't allowed to enter, since he already knew when Percy remembered, being the god who put this all together. Neither was Athena, since she had read all of the book during the scene, and also knew when Percy regained his memory.

"Bets are all placed, and the next scene shall begin momentarily. Who want's popcorn?" asked Apollo.

Every demigod hand rose, as did most of the gods. None of the goddesses wanted popcorn.

The lights began to dim, and the demigods started popping their treat into their mouths.

_Percy, I miss you_ thought Annabeth.


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note:

I am super duper sorry!

Maybe you don't know why…

I had originally underlined the 'movie portyal' of the Son of Neptune, but when uploading the document to the site, the underlined parts weren't underlined anymore.

I will go back to bolding the parts that are in the book/'film'

SORRY if it was hard to read!

Update will come soon! Im working on it currently!

Comment if you have a scene that you really want in the story, and I will try to get it in. Not all requests can be met. Sorry, but that's life.


	6. Chapter 6

Everything bolded is the 'movie' portrayal of the book, _Son of Neptune_.

The content of the bolded lines, and the characters in the story all belong to Rick Riordan!

Enjoy!

The loading circle went away, and Percy came on to screen.

Annabeth was thankful that all the scenes had Percy in it. She hadn't seen his muscles in 8 months, and she was soaking him up.

**Percy sat at a table, eating lunch. Everyone ate, and talked in hushed tones. Nobody seemed particularly happy…**

Annabeth thought it was odd to see Percy not eating alone. As sad as it was, she was used to looking over, and seeing him eating alone at the table, sneaking glances at Annabeth. At the Roman camp, he ate with a group of other people, and he seemed happy not being alone.

**Reyna gave a brief speech, wishing Percy, Hazel, and Frank luck.**

The movie paused.

"I, uh, didn't realize the info you guys had all missed," Apollo apologized, while Artemis smirked.

"So basically, the camp played a Roman game, sort of like capture the flag, and Percy totally shocked everyone, because Romans stab while Greeks swipe. Also Percy used the hilt of his sword, and the flat of the blade. Frank got claimed by Mars, as you know him Ares, and the three of them are going on a quest to Alaska, to release death,"

"Alaska!?" Annabeth cried

"Yes," Apollo replied

"That's the land of no Gods!"

"Yes," Apollo replied.

Annabeth looked at Apollo, who was unfazed.

"Whatever," Annabeth muttered, giving up.

"Okay. PLAY!" said Apollo, shrugging off Annabeth's nervous yells.

**After lunch, Percy and his two friends went to their bunks to pack. Percy didn't have much to pack, so he packed extra clothes, took his necklace with the beads, the **_**probatio **_**tablet, and of course; Riptide.**

**He folded his tattered, faded orange camp half-blood shirt, and placed it on his bunk.**

"**I'll be back," he whispered to his shirt.**

A silent tear rolled its way down Annabeth's cheek. She felt like he was talking to her. Making a promise to that ratty, old shirt he has had for years was symbolic of her, in a way. She smiled, knowing she would see Percy soon. One way or another, they would find each other.

"**I'm not leaving for good. But I have to help these guys. They took me in. They deserve to survive," Percy said to his shirt. **

**A boy gave the three friends a ride to the border of the valley on an elephant.**

"Is that an elephant?" asked Piper to Jason, who nodded.

"Her name is Hannibal. She's sweet. She likes to play in the war games,"

"Well most elephants do…." said Leo cautiously.

**They got off the elephant, and the boy wished them a safe journey. Hannibal gave them all a hug, wrapping them in her trunk.**

**Percy sighed, and looked to Hazel and Frank. He seemed to be thinking of something upbeat to say.**

"**ID's please?" asked a voice.**

"Ugh," Jason rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"What?" asked Annabeth, who was looking at Percy's black hair, which was blowing in the breeze.

"One of the more….bothersome gods is going to make an appearance," Jason replied, trying to be respectful to the gods; Unlike a certain son of the sea god….

"I thought that was Apollo?" said Artemis, who smiled innocently in her 12 year old form.

"Watch it, little sis,"

"We are twins! I'm not your little sis!"

"Moving on…." said Athena, who wanted to settle the silly debacle.

**A statue of a god appeared at the summit of the hill, and the face was frowned irritably/**

"**Well? Come along!"**

"**You again? I thought you just guarded the city?"**

"Respectful, Perce," Annabeth shook her head.

"Which god is that?" asked Connor, eating some popcorn.

"Terminus," Jason replied.

"God of boundaries," finished Annabeth, who was knowledgeable of both Greek and Roman gods.

"**Glad to see you, too, Mr. Rule Flouter-"**

"Definitely Percy," Annabeth laughed to herself, thinking of all the gods they had come across, and how many Percy has made mad. It didn't surprise her that Percy questioned the rules of Rome.

"**Normally, yes, I guard the city, but for international departures, I like to provide extra security at the camp borders. You really should've departed two hours before your planned departure time, you know. But we'll have to make do. Now, come over here so I can pat you down,"**

"Please don't say it…." Annabeth said.

"**But you don't have-uh, sure," said Percy, catching himself.**

"Well, at least he stopped himself," Annabeth summed up.

"He's getting better," noted Connor, with a nod from Travis.

**He stood next to the armless statue, and Terminus did a mental scan.**

"**You seem to be clean. Do you have anything to declare?"**

"**Yes. I declare this is stupid" Percy retorted.**

"Oh, gods," Annabeth muttered.

"And just when we thought he was getting better," said Travis.

Everyone was laughing at Percy, and his disrespect. All but Jason, who was brought up being told respect and discipline was number one.

"**Hmph! Probatio tablet: Percy Jackson, Fifth Cohort, son of Neptune. Fine, go."**

"I was fifth cohort!" noted Jason, a sad look on his face. He had been away from home for 8 months. While they were a great 8 months, he missed his home. He missed his friends.

"**Hazel Levesquye, daughter of Pluto. Fine. Any foreign currency or, ahem, precious metals to declare?"**

"Why would she declare that?" asked Katie, looking at Nico for answers.

"She has special powers over metals. Gold, Silver, Platinum, Diamonds, etc. They can appear at her feet and stuff, and also she can sense it underground. Pretty cool," Nico left out the part about the metals being cursed.

"So together you make up your fathers spheres of control? Riches and death?" asked Annabeth.

Nico nodded.

"**No" Hazel muttered, looking at the ground.**

"**Are you sure? Because last time-"**

"**No!" Hazel said.**

"**Well this is a grumpy bunch. Quest travelers! Always in a rush. Now, let's see-Frank Zhang. Ah! Canturion? Well done, Frank. And that haircut is regulation perfect! I approve! Off you go, then, Centurion Zhang. Do you need any directions today?"**

"**No. No, I guess not," Frank replied.**

"He's going give directions anyway," Jason guessed.

"**Just down the BART station. Change trains at Twelfth Street in Oakland. You want Fruitvale Station. From there, you can walk or take the bus to Alameda," Terminus gave the directions, just like Jason had predicted.**

"**You guys don't have a magical BART train or something?" Percy asked.**

"Your son is something," Ares whispered over to Poseidon.

"My son saved Olympus," Poseidon retorted.

"He got lucky,"

"You're lucky that I'm not in the mood to destroy you," Poseidon growled, while Ares huffed.

"**Magic trains! You'll be wanting your own security lane and a pass to the executive lounge next. Just travel safely, and watch out for Polybotes. Talk about scofflaws-bah! I wish I could throttle him with my bare hands!" Terminus scoffed, ignoring Percy's ridiculous thought.**

"**Wait-who?" Percy asked.**

"Classic Perce," said almost everyone.

Leo, Piper, and Jason were beginning to figure the hero of Camp Half Blood out.

"**Ah,well. Just be careful of him. I imagine he can smell a son of Neptune a mile away. Out you go, now. Good luck!" Terminus said, his face straining expression.**

**An invisible force kicked them across the boundary. When Percy looked back, the entire valley was gone. Berkeley Hills was Roman free.**

"**Any idea what Terminus was talking about? Watch out for Political something or other?" Percy looked confused.**

"'Political something or other'? Oh, gods, Perce. You're not making yourself look very smart," Annabeth muttered.

"**Poh-LIB-uh-tease?" Hazel pronounced the name for Percy. "Never heard of him,"**

"**Sounds Greek," Frank said.**

"**That narrows it down. Well, we probably just appeared on the smell radar for every monster within five miles. We'd better get moving."**

"Finally something tactical!" said Athena.

"Mother!" Annabeth said

"You have to agree, daughter!"

"He is tactical, he just isn't as smart as you, or your children," she defended her boyfriend.

"Thank you, Annabeth," said Poseidon.

**After two hours, the three reached the dock. No monsters had attacked, and Percy seemed relieved. Frank stored his spear, bow, and quiver in a long bag made for skis. Hazel's cavalry sword was wrapped in a bedroll slung on her back. The three of them looked like normal high school teenagers, going on a trip.**

**They walked to Rockridge Station, bought tickets with mortal money, and hopped on the BART train. Getting off in Oakland, they three had to walk through some rough neighborhoods. However, nobody bothered them. Percy had perfected his stare, his green eyes swirling with pure anger, and aggression. He through all of his frustration into it.**

Annabeth was amazed. She knew that Percy had an intense stare, but it had gotten 100 times more ferocious. Living with a she-wolf for however many months had toughened him up, apparently.

**In the afternoon, they three made it to the docks. Percy took in a deep breath of the salty air. His hair was being tossed to the sides in the cool breeze. He was finally in his territory; he had the upper hand.**

**There were dozens of boats moored in the docks. There were 50 foot yachts and 10 foot fishing boats. Percy's eyes grazed over all the boats, looking for the Roman Navy.**

"**Do you guys know what we are looking for?"**

**Hazel and Frank shook their heads.**

"I didn't even know we had a Navy…" Jason said

"**I didn't even know we **_**had**_** a navy," Hazel said, as if she was praying they didn't have one.**

"Dude, you and that girl are on the same page," Leo noted, making Jason blush. He looked over at Piper, who hadn't heard Leo. Jason didn't want Piper getting jealous.

"**Oh…You don't think…" Frank pointed to a boat.**

**At the end of the dock was a skimpy boat, like a dingy, that was covered in purple tarp. S.P.Q.R was embroidered in gold on the side of the faded, dusty cover.**

**Percy frowned, "No way…" He was very disappointed, and his confidence wavered.**

"Is that honestly your Navy? I'm insulted!" Poseidon said, feeling his son's displeasure.

"I apologize, Lord Poseidon, on behalf of Camp Jupiter. We just don't battle in the water, it is not where we are strongest," Jason said, protecting his home.

"You are forgiven, Jason Grace," huffed Poseidon, staring at the screen, where his son was next to the joke of a Navy.

**Percy uncovered the boat, untying the knots like he had been doing so forever. Under the tarp was an old steel rowboat with no oars. The hull was crusted with tar and salt, that it made the dark blue look more like a bruise on the boat. The name, **_**Pax**_**, was still readably, barely, painted in gold. There were two benches, some steel wool, an old cooler, and a mound of frayed rope. At the bottom of the boat, a plastic bag with two empty coke cans floated in a couple inches of dirty water.**

"Oh gods, Percy must be horrified!" Annabeth exclaimed. But she knew Percy would make it work. He could make anything work on the sea.

"**Behold, the might Roman nay!" Frank said, feigning enthusiasm.**

"**There's got to be a mistake. This is a piece of junk!" Hazel said, turning towards Percy.**

**Percy jumped onto the junk-ship, and the shipped hummed a little, responding to him. HE picked up the trash, and put it on the dock. He willed the water out of the boat, and pointed to the steel wood which flew across the floor, scrubbing and polishing so fast that it began to smoke. When it was finished, and the ship was thoroughly clean, Percy pointed at the rope, and it untied itself from the dock.**

"**This'll do. Hop in!" **

"Wow…" muttered almost every demigod.

"I know you told us about him on the ship in the Sea of Monsters, but that was so cool!" said Katie, while the Stoll's nodded in agreement.

Poseidon smiled at his son, and how he used his powers flawlessly.

**Hazel and Frank looked stunned, but climbed aboard. Hazel seemed nervous, but climbed upon anyway. They settled in their seat, and Percy concentrated. The boat slipped from the dock.**

"**Get off my ship," Percy growled.**

Everyone turned to Apollo.

"What?" Apollo asked, pausing the movie.

"What just happened? Why did he yell at no one?" Annabeth asked.

"Oh. Well this is what Gaea whispered to him-"

"Gaea is whispering to him!?" exclaimed Annabeth.

"Yes, sweetheart. Anyway; she had said, and I quote, 'Juno was right, you know. You could have chosen a new life in the sea. You would have been safe from me there. Now it's too late. You chose pain and misery. You're part of my plan, now-my important little pawn'"

Everyone was speechless, imagining Gaea's sleepy, hollow voice in their heads.

"Okay… PLAY!" said Apollo, the three demigods unfreezing.

"**Uh, what?" Frank asked.**

"**Nothing," Percy mumbled. "Let's see what this rowboat can do," He smiled at his boat and the water, and their little boat sped down the bay, heading to the Golden Gate Bridge.**

The lights slowly came back on, signaling the end of the scene.


	7. Chapter 7

The screen came up, and Annabeth was sad to see Percy not on the screen.

"**What?" Hazel asked, nervously. Frank looked scared.**

"**The wind's stopped…"**

"Good observation, sensei!" Leo bowed to the screen.

"Leo, stop it," Piper smacked his arm.

"**So?" Hazel asked, as Frank tensed up.**

"**So why is the grass still moving…?"**

**In the background, dark shapes rippled throughout the field.**

"**HAZEL!" Frank yelled, but it was too late. He was pushed backwards, and a grassy hurricane warpped around Hazel's ankles and dragged her into the field of crops.**

**Hazel couldn't sit up, or touch the ground; she was moving so fast. Her weapon was still strapped to her back, so she couldn't defend herself.**

**She was being tossed around, and her face and arms were getting cut up.**

**Franks shouts faded.**

"Did she just get kidnapped by grass?" asked Travis, looking nervously at Katie and her mother, Demeter.

"Grass is more powerful than you would think, son of Hermes," Demeter winked to her cabin, which smiled playfully.

**Hazel shut her eyes tightly, and concentrated hard. She seemed to be searching for metals under the Earth, but judging by her look she found nothing.**

**Suddenly the ground rumbled, and the swirl of plants let her go, and she was thrown upward. She opened her eyes, and twisted her body in midair. She was 20 feet in the air, and falling.**

"Oh, gods, she is going to get hurt!" Katie exclaimed.

"Maybe not, Katie. We train at Camp Jupiter to land safely from various heights," Jason explained.

**Hazel tucked her body into a roll, and turned the impact into a somersault. She stood up.**

"That was amazing!" Katie exclaimed, glancing at Jason who nodded.

He himself had practiced that jump time after time.

**Hazel took off her bedroll, and drew her **_**spatha**_**. A huge rock was to her left, a few yards away. The rock was like an anchor. Hazel had made it appear.**

**The grass surrounding the rock rippled, and she ran to it. She climbed onto the rock, and clambered to the peak.**

"**Can't grow on this, can you?" she yelled, taunting them. "Go away, you bunch of weeds! Leave me alone!"**

"Weeds?" Demeter asked, hurt. Her kids crossed their arms, mad that the grass was being called a weed.

"**Schist!" and angry voice yelled.**

**Hazel raised her eyebrows, "Excuse me?"**

"**Schist! Big pile of Schist,"**

**By the shock on Hazel's face, she assumed they were swearing at her.**

"Schist about to get real!" Travis elbowed his brother, laughing at himself.

"Schist! I forgot to put my sword away!" chuckled Connor.

"Shut up," Katie said.

**All around the rock island, the kidnappers materialized from the grass. They, at first, looked like Valentine angels; a dozen of chubby little Cupids. However they were nor cute, nor angelic.**

**They were as short as young toddlers, with rolls of fat. Their skin was a strange greenish tone, and chlorophyll ran through their veins. Their wings were dry and brittle, like corn-husks, and they had tufts of white hair, that looked like corn silk. Their eyes were an unsettling, nasty, green, and they had canine fangs.**

Demeter huffed, "Oh I hate those stupid, little creatures. They are so unpredictable!"

Her kids nodded, but nobody else knew what creature they were dealing with.

**The largest, ugliest, creature came forward, a look of dismay and anger on his face. He wore a yellow tinted loincloth, and his hair was spiky. He hissed at Hazel, and waddled back and forth rapidly.**

"**Hate this schist! Wheat cannot grow!" the creature growled.**

"Is that…wheat?" Annabeth asked.

"Yes, child," Demeter asked.

"**Sorghum cannot grow!" another screamed at Hazel, who stood with her sword drawn defensively.**

"**Barley! Barley cannot grow! Curse this schist!" screamed Barley, gnashing its ugly fangs.**

**Hazel's knees wobbled as the creatures gnarled at her, their solid green eyes overcome in anger and lust.**

"**Y-you mean the rock? This rock is called schist?" Hazel asked, her sword arm not dipping.**

"**Yes, greenstone! Schist! Nasty rock!" yelled Wheat.**

"It is nasty. It's awful when you're trying to grow and there is a patch of it," Katie said to Travis, who nodded. He turned to his brother, and rolled his eyes.

**Hazel's face gleamed with understanding, "It's a precious stone. It's valuable?"**

**The creature in the yellow loin cloth glared at her, "Bah! Foolish native people made jewelry from it, yes,"**

"Foolish?" asked Piper, who was half Native American.

Jason wrapped her in his arms.

**Wheat continued, "Valuable? Maybe. Not as good as wheat!"**

"**Or sorghum!"**

"**Or barley!"**

**Each other cupid-piranhas called out different types of grain, while circling the rock. They made no effort to climb it, but if they did Hazel would be swarmed.**

"**You're Gaea's servants," she guessed.**

"She's keeping them talking!" Annabeth realized.

"Why?" asked Nico, "I would just slash them to bits,"

"She can't take all of them at once," chirped Katie.

"She is hoping Frank and Perce will find her," Annabeth told everyone.

**The yellow-clothed creature snarled, "We are the **_**karpoi**_**, spirits of the grain! Children of the Earth Mother, yes! We have been her attendants since forever. Before nasty humans cultivated us, we were wild! We will be again! Wheat will destroy all!"**

"We all need to shelter from wheat!" screamed Travis, in fake craze.

Wheat came up, and grabbed his ankles, lifting him up. He was hanging from the ceiling, which was so high up, he looked like an ant.

"Mother," Katie said, holding in a laugh. Her mother winked at her, and she could hear screams. Travis had gotten out of the wheat, and was free falling. Zeus sighed, and flicked his wrist. A gust of air shielded Travis's fall, and he landed in front of his seat, on the ground. He scrambled up, and sat back down in his seat, blushing.

"What where you saying, again?" asked Demeter, smiling victoriously.

"Why did you have to do that?" asked Hermes

"**No, sorghum will rule!"**

"**Barley shall dominate!"**

**Each **_**karpos**_** yelled out how they would take over the world.**

**Hazel looked repulsed, "Right. So you're Wheat, then-you in the yellow, um, britches,"**

"What are britches?" asked Leo.

"It's a term for breeches. Pants," Annabeth answered.

"**hmmmmm. Come down from your schist, demigod. We must take you to our mistress's army. They will reward us. They will kill you slowly.!"**

"**Tempting, but not thanks," Hazel replied.**

Annabeth remembered the amount of times Percy had said that to monsters trying to kill them.

"**I will give you wheat! So much wheat!" Wheat said as if it was a fair trade for her life.**

**The **_**karpoi**_** were getting bolder, starting to scratch at the schist to see if it would hurt them.**

"**Before I get down…" Hazel was slowly raising her voice, trying to let it drift over the fields. She was looking around, trying to find Percy and Frank, "Um, explain something to me, would you? If you're gran spirits, shouldn't you be on the gods' side? Isn't the goddess of agriculture Ceres-"**

"**Evil name!" screamed all the grains.**

Demeter glared at the ugly, little cupids on the screen, her form flickering a little bit.

"**Cultivates us! Makes us grow in disgusting rows. Let's humans harvest us. Pah! When Gaea is mistress of the world again, we will grow wild, yes!"**

"**Well, naturally," said Hazel.**

"What!?" asked Demeter, "Why is she supporting those little beasts!?"

"She is trying to keep herself alive," Athena rationed.

"**So this army of hers, where you're taking me in exchange for wheat-" **

"**Or barely!" Barley cut off Hazel.**

**Hazel nodded skeptically, "Yeah, this army is where, now?"**

**Sorghum clapped excitedly, "Just over the ridge! The Earth Mother-oh, yes!- she told us: 'Look for the daughter of Pluto who lives again. Find her! Bring her alive! I have many tortures planned for her.' The giant Polybotes will reward us for your life! Then we will march south and destroy the Romans. We can't be killed, you know. But you can, yes,"**

"**That's wonderful" Hazel feigned enthusiasm. "So you-you can't be killed because Alcyoneus has captured Death, is that it?"**

"**Exactly!" Barley jumped up and down happily.**

"**And he's keeping him chained in Alaska. At…let's see, what's the name of that place?" Hazel said.**

"Nice move, Haze" Nico smiled at his sister. He didn't show it, but he was nervous. He had lost one sister, he did not want to lose another one.

**Sorghum smiled, and opened his mouth, but Wheat tackled him. The **_**Karpoi**_** started to fight, dissolving into a hurricane of flying grains. Hazel looked like she was going to run for it, when What re-formed, and shouted "STOP! Multigrain fighting is not allowed!"**

**Each **_**karpoi**_** solidified back into the ugly, chubby bodies.**

"**Oh, clever demigod, trying to trick us into giving secrets. No, you'll never find the lair of Alcyoneus!" shouted the only reasonable monster.**

"**I already know where it is! He's on the island in Resurrection Bay!" she said, with confidence.**

Nico smiled at his sister, proud of how she was defending herself. She was the youngest of the three, and she was staying calm in the situation.  
**"Ha! That place sank beneath the waves long ago. You should know that! Gaea hates you for it. When you thwarted her plans, she was forced to sleep again. Decades and decades! Alcyoneus-not until the dark times was he able to rise," Wheat sneered up at Hazel, whose feet shuffled timidly on the rock.**

"**The nineteen-eighties! Horrible! Horrible!" yelled Barley, shaking his head disapprovingly.**

"I liked the eighties," said Zeus, glancing at Thalia and Jason inconspicuously. He had met Thalia and Jason's mother because she had an attractive, 80's hairstyle, that drew him in.

"**Yes and our mistress **_**still**_** sleeps. Alcyoneus was forced to bids his time in the north, waiting, planning. Only now does Gaea begin to stir. Oh, but she remembers you, and so does her son!"**

**Hazels sword arm dipped slightly, the ugly-cupid toddlers getting in her head.**

"**Yes!" Wheat noticed her discomfort, "Give up!"**

**Hazel's arm rose again, "NEVER!" she shouted, hoping Percy or Frank would hear.**

Nico's foot tapped on the ground nervously. Hazel was running out of time, and Nico knew that.

"**If I have to destroy you all, I will. I am the daughter of Pluto!" she screamed at the **_**karpoi**_**.**

Nico smiled at her confidence.

**The **_**Karpoi**_** came towards her. The gripped the rock, hissing as if it was steaming hot. They began to climb the pile of schist.**

"**Now you will die," Wheat promised her, "You will feel the wrath of grain!" Suddenly there was a whistling noise, and Wheat froze. He looked down to see the golden arrow piercing his chest. He exploded into Chex Mix.**

**Hazel looked stunned. Then, Frank and Percy ran into the clearing, killing every monster. Frank shot Barley, and Percy slashed Sorghum and charged Millet and Oats. Hazel jumped off her precious metal, and joined the fight.**

**After a few minutes, the various had been reduced to seeds and cereals.**

"Ah, cereal," Demeter's eyes twinkled in delight. Nico shuddered.

**Wheat started to reform, and Percy pulled a lighter out, and sparked a flame.**

"What is he going to do!? He is going to burn down the whole field, with them in it!" Demeter shrieked, her hands going to her face.

"**Try it, and I'll set this whole field of fire. Stay away from us, or the grass gets it!" Percy threatened, the flame closing in on the grains.**

**Frank winced, but regained himself, "He'll do it! He's crazy!"**

"He's crazy all right," Thalia said, smiling to herself.

**The **_**karpoi**_** scattered in the wind.**

"At least those insufferable grain spirits are gone. Good job, Perseus," Demeter nodded in approval. Hearing a god compliment Percy was weird, it made Annabeth scrunch her eyebrows together, like Percy.

**Percy put his lighter away, and smiled at Hazel. His eyes twinkled, and his muscles bulged-but not in a bad way. In a subtle way, that made him look like a swimmer.**

"**Thanks for yelling. We wouldn't have found you otherwise… How'd you hold them off so long?" Percy asked, his voice drenched in awe.**

**Hazel pointed to the rock, grinning for her powers; for what seemed like the first time in her life.**

"**A big pile of schist," she said.**

**Percy's face scrunched up in confusion.**

"**Excuse me?"**

"Gotta start listening, Perce," Thalia laughed, and Annabeth let out a giggle.

"**Guys, you need to see this!" Frank called from the top of the schist, a look of fears and nerves on his face.**

**Percy and Hazel climbed on the rock, and got to the top. As soon as Hazel saw what Frank was talking about, she turned to Percy, "Percy, no light! Put up your sword!"**

"**Schist!" Percy scolded himself as he touched the tip, and his glowing sword shrank into a pen.**

"Way to use a rock as a swear, Perce," Nico said, as everyone laughed at his horrid pun.

The scene stopped, as Percy looked up; his green eyes concerned and his black hair brushing his face.

"That obviously wasn't the end, Apollo!" said Annabeth, looking at the flirtatious god with an irritated look.

"Sat on the remote…" He muttered. The remote flew out of his hands, suddenly, and he looked shocked.

Artemis wiggled the remote in her hand, and smirked at him.

"Boys are useless. I will be in charge of the remote now," she said, pushing the play button again.

Annabeth's eyes lit up as she saw Percy's face light up the screen.

But it immediately sank soon after…


	8. Chapter 8

**The three friends crouched on the rock. Down below, a giant army was on the prowl.**

"Oh. My. Gods," Annabeth sat their wide eyed, as she saw monster after monster, marching through the fields-only a few yards from her missing boyfriend.

**Hazel crouched down, soon followed by Frank, who pulled Percy's sleeve to get him to crouch. They watched the monsters pass, their faces full of disbelief and shock.**

"I have never seen that many monsters together! Not even in books!" Piper said, staring wide eyed at the screen. He looked around and saw most of the demigods concerned, but not shocked by the amount of monsters. "Have you all seen that many? Leo?"

"Not me, Beauty Queen," he said shaking his head, his curls bouncing.

"Last summer there was a huge war with the titans and gods, and Percy led Camp Half Blood over here-" Annabeth started.

"I led the attack over in California for Camp Jupiter," Jason added, Annabeth nodding.

"During that war, monsters upon monsters attacked us; probably around that amount, maybe a little less. It's overwhelming, I know, trust me," Annabeth said.

**Hazel started enlightening the boys on the situation "The Earthborn fought the Argonauts… And those things behind them-"**

**Percy's eyes swirled misty, and he looked sick "**_**Centaurs…**_** But…that's not right. Centaurs a **_**good**_** guys!"**

**Frank stared at him in disbelief. He made a chocking noise, "That's not what **_**we**_** are taught at camp. Centaurs are crazy, always getting drunk and killing heroes,"**

"What? Chiron doesn't kill us," Katie said, turning to Jason.

"It might just be a Roman thing?" he asked.

Annabeth looked at Jason, trying to figure him out. Chiron was her 2nd father, and sure his brothers were crazy but they had helped them out in the last war. She couldn't imagine them killing heroes…

**Hazel tilted her head and squinted "Are they supposed to have bull's horns?"**

**Frank looked at the centaurs and then back at Hazel, his dark eyes meeting her golden ones, "Maybe they're a special breed? Let's **_**not**_** ask them, okay?"**

**Percy's gaze drifted down the army, and his face went slack, his shoulders stiffening.**

"Oh, Percy" Annabeth said in a small voice.

"Are those, Cyclopes?" Thalia whispered to Annabeth.

She nodded, "Tyson. He always has a hard time with them now, because he loves Tyson so much,"

"**My gods…Cyclopes,"**

**Behind the centaurs, a small army of Cyclopes lumbered. A slew of male and female one eyed giants, standing at 10 feet tall each, wore armor made out of junkyard metal.**

**Percy looked like he was going to pass out, his face losing all its color; his eyes losing all their shine and lust. His hands were clutching his temples, and his eyes were squeezed shut tightly.**

"**Cyclopes. Centaurs. This is wrong. All wrong!" he cried. He was looking more sickly with every passing second. Hazel looked worried, and put a hand on his shoulder.**

"Why does he look so bad?" Nico asked, as he and Thalia stared wide eyed. Annabeth had tears in the corner of her eyes, her heart constricting. He was in so much pain.

"His memories are trying to resurface," Piper said, glancing at Hera.

"When I got to the wolf house, I collapsed. But I never looked that bad, did I?" Jason asked, turning to Leo and Piper.

"No, man, the worst you got was that one collapse. You never looked like you got the flu," Leo noted, nervously glancing at Annabeth.

"Why, Percy, then?" she whispered to herself, wiping the tears from her eyes before anyone could notice.

Poseidon looked away, bot bearing to see his son in such agony.

**Hazel turned to Frank, "We need to get him back to the boat. The sea will make him feel better,"**

Poseidon looked back at the screen, and smiled at the daughter of his brother. She knew exactly what to do, for sure water would make him feel better than he did before.

"**No argument," Frank nervously glanced at Percy, who was shivering, sweat dripping from the tips of his black hair, "There are too many of them. The camp… We have to warn the camp,"**

"**They know!" Percy gasped, and the doubled over in a groan, "Reyna knows," Percy was breathing heavy, his hands still on his head. Hazel hand a hand on his shoulder still, keeping him from falling off the rock. He looked deathly in the moon light.**

"**Come on. Let's…" Hazel drifted off, as she squinted in the distance her eyes widened. She saw the giant.**

"No way his luck is that bad," Annabeth wined, looking at the gods, who shrugged.

"What? Who is that?" asked Travis and Connor

"You'll find out. No spoilers," Annabeth joked, trying to lighten her heart.

**The giant was well over thirty feet, at least, with scaly reptilian legs from the waist down, and he wore green-blue armor from the waist up. His breastplate was an array of monstrous faces, their mouths all open wide as if they were demanding food. He had a human face, and a mop of seaweed like hair perched atop it. He was armed with a massive trident and a huge net.**

"Hey, Lord P, why does he have your weapon?" Travis asked

"Well, Hermes Spawn, that giant was created to oppose me," Poseidon said.

Travis looked at Connor and shrugged.

"**Who is he?" Frank asked, his voice wavering, "That's not…"**

"**Not Alcyoneus" Hazel seemed to be forcing the words out, "One of his brothers I think. The one Terminus mentioned. The grain spirit mentioned him, too. That's Polybotes,"**

**Hazel looked as if she wanted to leave, her eyes nervously glancing at the grain around the rock. She knew that where they crouched on the rock was in plain sight, if the creatures chose to look in their direction. But something was holding her back, as if she knew something important was going to happen.**

"Why aren't they leaving!?" questioned Annabeth, still looking at Percy, who was shaking and sweating with his eyes shut tight.

"Just wait, child. Strategy," reminded Athena, looking down at her worried daughter.

**A tall Cyclopes, who looked like a child next to Polybotes, pointed at a convenience store. The Cyclopes woman wore a chain-mail dress like a muumuu, and was fat and horrifically ugly.**

Leo gasped, and he turned to Piper. She stared at the Cyclopes woman terrified. Jason didn't know why they looked so scared. Leo cringed, remembering his experience with the nasty Cyclopes woman and her children…

**The giant snapped at the Cyclopes, as if irritated with her. The female monster barked an order, and three tall Cyclopes stalked up behind her. When they were close to the store, a searing light turned the dark sky into mid-day. Hazel had to turn around to keep from getting blinded by the sudden light.**

**Below her, in the fields, monsters yelled cries of pain and outrage. Hazel squinted in the light, and tried to make out the monsters.**

"**Too pretty! Burns our eyes!" yelled a cyclopes.**

Annabeth heard a snicker from a buff, tall demigod, with a rainbow tattoo.

"What, Butch?"

"You'll see, Annabeth. You will see," Butch winked at her.

_Iris…_ Annabeth thought to herself.

**The store was surrounded by a rainbow, brighter than usual. The light lassoed around the store, and shot up in the sky, bathing the countryside in a kaleidoscope glow.**

"It reminds me of your eyes," Jason whispered in Hazel's ear. She smiled, and kissed his cheek, her eyes twinkling green, brown, and then some blue.

**The lady Cyclopes screamed a battle cry, raised her club, and charged the store. She hit the rainbow, and her body began to steam. She screamed in pain, and stepped back hastily, multicolored blisters covering he arm and face.**

"Rainbow for the win," Butch said, glancing at Leo, who had made fun of Iris when Butch and Annabeth saved him, Jason, and Piper from the Grand Canyon.

"**Horrible goddess! Give us snacks!" bellowed the Cyclopes, shaking her multicolored face.**

**Other monsters followed her footsteps; charging the rainbow, then retreating in pain, blisters covering their bodies.**

**Some monsters threw armor, swords, and spears at the light, which burned to pieces to dust.**

**Polybotes, noticing his idiotic army, wailed "Stop!" He pushed and pummeled his troops into submission. When they quieted down, he stalked around the border of light.**

"**Goddess! Come out and surrender!" he yelled.**

**The rainbow shimmered.**

"Lay it on, thick, almighty goddess of rainbows!" Leo shouted, winking at Butch who rolled his eyes.

"My mother doesn't believe in fighting, Fire Boy," Butch said, flexing his muscles.

Leo didn't know how to respond to the cracking muscles.

"**I am Polybotes! Kneel before me so I may destroy you quickly!" he yelled, his trident raised high in the air.**

**A small object sailed out from the store, and landed promptly at the feet of the giant. "Grenade!" he shouted, covering his face. His troops dropped to the ground.**

"Not violent, eh?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.

**The thing sat there, dormant. Polybotes slowly took his hands away from his face. He picked up the object cautiously. "A Ding Dong!? You **_**DARE**_** insult me with a Ding Dong?" he bellowed, throwing the snack down on the ground.**

"That's right; not violent," Butch smirked at Leo, who put his hands up in surrender.

"**Let's attack! I am hungry and my boys want snacks!" shouted the lady Cyclops, looking up at Polybotes.**

"**NO! We are already late. Alcyoneus wants us at the camp in four days' time. You Cyclopes move inexcusably slowly! We have no time for a **_**minor**_** goddess," he snarled, getting no response from the small little store.**

"A minor goddess who just kicked your ugly ass!" muttered Butch

**The lady Cyclops smiled evilly, growling in delight, "The camp, yes. Vengeance! The orange and purple ones destroyed your home. Now Ma Gasket will destroy theirs! Do you here me, Leo? Jason? Piper? I come to annihilate you!" she shouted in the sky.**

Everyone turned to the trio. Leo cringed, remembering the pressure he was put under. Piper rubbed her ankle, remembering the pain she had been in. Jason looked confused.

"How does she know me?" Jason asked, turning back and forth between his two friends.

"Remember when you got knocked out after we fell off Festus? You were knocked out by a Cyclopes, I was caught because they imitated your voice. Leo, however, was safe, because he went out to try to fix Festus. He was able to save both of us," Piper summed up, shuddering.

"And he did a very nice job at his rescue job," noted Hephaestus, smiling at his fire bending son.

"…A….a Cyclopes lair? You got caught…." Annabeth muttered, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Thalia squeezed her hand. Annabeth and Thalia had been caught in a lair along with Luke and Grover, before they made it to Camp Half Blood.

Jason rubbed the back of his head, remembering his bump.

**Hazel glanced at a nervous Frank, and an ill looking Percy. "Jason…She fought Jason. He might still be alive!" she whispered.**

**Frank nodded, "Do those other names mean anything to you?"**

**Hazel shook her head, her long curls bouncing in her face. She swiped her hair aside. Percy looked dazed and sick, and if those names meant anything to him, he didn't show it.**

"**Sea god…I smell a sea god…" Polybotes muttered, turning, to Hazel's horror, at them.**

Poseidon clutched his trident, nervously. His blood ran through Percy's veins, and because of that Polybotes could smell him.

**Percy shook with such intensity, Hazel had to press her hand against him to keep him flat against the rock.**

"**Of course you smell sea god! The sea is right over there!" Ma Gasket snarled up at Polybotes, who was smelling the air.**

"**More than that… I was born to destroy Neptune. I can sense…" He frowned at looked around, shaking his head.**

"**Do we march, or sniff the air? If I don't get Ding Dong's then you don't get a sea god!" yelled Ma Gasket, starting to march.**

"**Very well," growled Polyboted, "March! March!" he looked at the rainbow store, and raked his fingers through his hair. He pulled out 3 snakes, and he laughed "A gift, goddess. My name, Polybotes, means 'many-to-feed'! Here are some hungry mouths for you! See if your store gets many customers with these sentries outside!"**

**Laughing wickedly, he tossed the snakes into the tall grass. The army marched on, passing over the hills until they were out of view. **

**Hazel, Frank, and a shivering Percy were left along in the dark, after the bright light shut off.**

"**That was different," said Frank, standing up on the rock. Hazel stood up, holding onto Percy.**

"Oh gods, Percy. He looks like he drank a vile of poises!" shouted Thalia, who was holding Annabeth's shaking hand.

**Percy shuddered violently. Hazel looked in the direction of the boat, which held yards of grain, and thus karpoi. **

"**Let's go to the store," Hazel suggested, sliding down the rock with Percy in tow, "If there's a goddess inside, maybe she can help us,"**

"**Except a bunch of snake things are guarding the hill now…and that burning rainbow might comeback," Frank said, following Hazel down the rock and helping her with Percy, whose knees were shaking like he had hypothermia.**

"**We have to try," Hazel said, bravely.**

**Frank nodded grimly, "Well…any goddess who throws a Ding Dong at a giant can't be all that bad. Let's go,"**

"My mother to the rescue!" Butch said, The Stoll's giving him a high-five.

The scene ended, and the lights came on, signaling a new scene.

"Apollo, dhy can't it just jump to the next scene?" Artemis played around with the remote, and finally got to the menu. She clicked a few buttons, so now the scene changes would be more natural.

"I didn't know about that feature," said Apollo

"You made it," Artemis pointed out.

"Whatever, just play,"


	9. Chapter 9

**The three demigods trudged up the grassy hill, avoiding the snakes. Frank's spear and bow slapped his back, and he grunted and rolled his eyes.**

"Why does he look so irritated?" asked Clarisse, who would be Franks Greek half-sister (Her Dad was Ares, and Frank's was Ares' Roman form, Mars).

"He doesn't like the spear I gave him," Ares grumbled, picking at his teeth.

"But does he know what that spear can do!?" yelled Clarisse, her hands flying to the air in frustration.

"What can it do?" asked Piper, not familiar with the weaponry.

Clarisse rolled her eyes, "It can-"

"Daughter, no. Frank will learn, and so will all the other brats," Ares said, cracking his knuckles. Aphrodite rolled her eyes, irritated.

**Frank shook his head, as if clearing his thoughts, and looked around, making sure no snakes were coming to attack. Frank looked nervous, as if he believed the rainbow would appear, and burn them.**

**Twenty yards from the store, a slight hissing noise travelled from the tall grass.**

"**GO!" Frank shouted, taking control. Percy stumbled, and Hazel helped steady him again. Frank took an arrow out of his quiver, and nocked it in his bow.**

**He shot blindly, and a signal flare arrow flew out of his bow.**

"Flare arrow?" asked Will.

"He probably had meant to grab an exploding arrow," Apollo guessed.

"He should be using the epic-ass spear!" Clarisse grumbled, playing with her celestial bronze pocket knife.

**A bright, orange light skidded through the grass, whistling and flaming. The light, not killing anything, at least illuminated the snakes. Sitting in a patch of withered yellow, brown grass was a lime green snake, as short and thick as Franks arm. Its head was ringed with a mane of spiky white fins. The snake stared at the arrow as the arrow flew across the land, wondering what it was. The creature's large, yellow eyes bore into Frank, who took a step back. The snake slithered forward, the grass dying in its trail.**

**Percy and Hazel climbed up the steps to the porch, and Frank didn't dare move. He stared at the snake, who hissed, flames blowing out of his mouth. Frank's brown eyes widened with nerves.**

"**Nice creepy reptile…Nice…Poisonous, fire-breathing reptile…." Frank's hands drifted to his pocket, a small, thin object making a slight budge.**

"What in his pocket? Why is he protecting it?" Annabeth wondered out loud.

"Oh, it's his life line," Hera said, her voice obviously uninterested.

"So if whatever that is gets hurt he dies?" Annabeth summed up,

"A piece of wood. And yes, if it burns to a crisp he dies," Hera said, not looking at her least favorite goddess.

"**Frank!" Hazel yelled, "Come on!" She held her hand out for Frank, waving him over. **

**The snake sprang at him, sailing through the air so fast, Frank couldn't draw his bow. With a scared expression, he swung his bow, smacking the snake. He smiled, proud of himself as the snake flew away, hissing.**

**He looked down at his bow, which was steaming. His eyes saddened as he watched it crumble to dust.**

"No! That was such a great bow! And he had such talent!" Apollo cried, with his sons nodding along with him.

**More hissing came from down the field, and Frank dropped his crumbling bow. He sprinted to the porch, his spear on his back. He made it to the steps, and Percy and Hazel helped him up. Frank turned around, seeing all three snakes encircling the porch step, breathing fire and turning the grass brown with their poison. **

"**We'll never get out of here," He whined, miserably, rubbing his buzz cut hair with his hand.**

"**Then we better go in," Hazel said, coming up next to him and putting a dark hand on his arm. Hazel pointed over to the hand painted sign.**

"Rainbow Organic Foods and Lifestyles?" Leo read out loud, his voice in question. He looked over at Butch, who raised both his eyebrows, silently asking _"What about it?"_

**Hazel walked inside, and Frank followed, walking Percy through the door. As they stepped indoors, the lights flicked on, and flute music started to play. The small stores aisles were lined with dried fruits and nuts. There were apples, tied dye apparel, and the ceiling was covered in chimes. Crystal balls, geodes, and dream catchers were in glass cases along the wall**

**Frank sniffled, signaling the presence of incense. "Fortune teller's shop?" he asked, looking around.**

"**Hope not," Hazel muttered, her eyes drooping with sad memories from her past.**

**Percy leaned against Hazel, barely able to hold himself up. He looked worse than ever, his face a sickly pale, his hair drained of color and his eyes a dull green. He shook and shivered, and could barely speak. His face was glistening with sweat. "Sit…Down…" he muttered, his head lobbing from side to side, dazed. "Maybe….Water…"**

"Yes! Give him water!" screamed Poseidon.

"Brother, hold your tongue," Zeus warned, irritated with all the distractions.

"**Yeah, let's find you a place to rest," Frank said, taking Percy's arms and navigating them between two Neptune fountains. The floor board creaked with every step.**

**A young girl's head popped up from behind an aisle, "Help you?" she asked in a perky voice, a smile on her face.**

**Frank tripped backwards, in surprise, and knocked over the statues. He fell into a fountain, making it crash to the floor. Neptune's head rolled off, water spewing from his neck, spraying a bunch of tie dyed man satchels. **

"**Sorry…" Frank muttered his cheeks pink with embarrassment. He bend down to pick up the mess, and almost impaled the young girl with his spear.**

"Man, he is such a klutz" Clarisse snickered, as if she was the most graceful warrior in the world.

"Clarisse, stop," Annabeth scolded her.

"Don't tell me what to do, Princess," Clarisse replied.

"**Eep! Hold it! It's okay!" the young girl yelled, steering clear of Frank's spear. Frank straitened slowly, trying his hardest not to knock anything over. Hazel looked mortified, her hands covering her mouth in shock. Percy turned a shade of green that no one should be, as he looked down at the head of his father, rolling around on the floor.**

"Oh, Perce" Poseidon put his head in his hand.

"Oh, well that isn't a good shade of green…" Apollo muttered.

**The girl clapped once, and the fountain dissolved into mist. She smiled, weakly, at Frank, "It's no problem, really. Those Neptune fountains are so grump looking, they bum me out,"**

The gods snickered.

"My Roman side is grumpier! I, myself, am not grumpy looking!" he defended himself.

**The girl was shot and muscular, with lace-up boots and cargo shorts. She looked ready to hike, wearing a yellow shirt that read ROFL; Rainbow Organic Foods and Lifestyles. She looked to be in her young twenties, but her hair was frizzy white. The girls eyes changed from grey, to black, to white, distracting Frank.**

"**Uh…sorry about the fountain. We were just-" Frank started, before the girl waved her hand.**

"**Oh, I know! You want to browse! It's all right. Demigods are welcome. Take your time. You're not like those awful monsters. They just want to use the restroom and never buy anything!" She said, stomping her feet. She snorted, her eyes flashed a bolt of lightning across them.**

"Sweet," Thalia muttered, "Annabeth, why don't your eyes do that?"

"Because I'm not a nebulae," she replied.

"How could you possibly know what she is?"

"Daughter of Athena," she pointedly said.

**From the back of the store, a voice called out, "Fleecy? Don't scare the customers, now! Bring them here, will you?"**

"**Your name is Fleecy?" Hazel asked, her head tipping to the side in question.**

**Fleecy giggled, her hand covering her mouth. Her eyes turned from grey to white.**

"**Well, in the language of the **_**nebulae**_** it's really-" she made a seried of crackling and blowing noises, reminding Frank of a thunderstorm. She smiled, "But you can call me Fleecy," **

"_**Nebulae… **_**Cloud….Nymph…" Percy muttered, in a daze, his eyes unable to focus on anything.**

**Fleecy smiled, and touched Percy's arm, "Oh, I like this one! Usually no one knows about Cloud Nymphs," she complained, "But dear, he doesn't look so good. Come to the back. My boss wants to meet you. We'll get your friends fixed up,"**

"Finally! Someone help my son!" Poseidon said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Jason, where you ever like that?" Annabeth turned to face Jason, who was frowning up at a sweaty, sick Percy.

"Nope. And if I was, then never for that long. I don't know why it's so bad for Percy," he shrugged, his sky blue eyes flashing with a bit of thankfulness for not becoming that sick. Percy looked ready to pass out, his green eyes glazed over, sweat beading his forehead.

**Fleecy led them through the produce aisle, between a row of fruits, all with signs that read 'Fresh produce!'. Percy was breathing hard, and Hazel and Frank kept glancing nervously at him. At the back of the store, behind a counter with an old fashioned register, stood a middle-aged woman with olive skin, long black hair, rimless glasses, and a T-shirt that read: **_**The goddess is Alive!**_** She wore amber necklaces and turquoise rings. She smelled like rose petals. She smiled at the three, and Frank's face looked shaky. The woman was smiling with one corner of his mouth, and her head was tilted like she was asking a question.**

Butch smiled and whispered "That's my mother,"

"She is a hippie?" asked Leo, who regretted it as soon as Butch glared at him.

"Your dad is a cripple,"

"And he is also sitting right there and can kick your ass," Leo retaliated, daring to raise his voice.

"Watch it, Valdez," Butch said.

"Boys, stop fighting now," Piper said, her voice laced with charmspeak.

Leo and Butch stopped, turning their attention back to the screen, Piper's voice washing over them.

"**Hello!" Her voice friendly. She leaned over the counter, which was lined with dozens of little statues. She smiled, and said, "So glad you're here. I'm Iris!" **

**Hazel's golden eyes widened, "Not **_**the**_** Iris-the rainbow goddess?"**

**Iris made a face, "Well that's my official job, yes. But I don't define myself by my corporate identity. In my spare time, I run this!" she gestured around to the fruits and wind chimes which were dancing in the light breeze. "The R.O.F.L co-op-an employee-run cooperative promoting healthy alternative lifestyles and organic foods,"**

"Ew organic," whined Hermes and Apollo nodded in agreement.

"Try it on for size," Artemis retorted, high fiving Athena.

**Frank stared at the goddess in amazement, "But you throw Ding Dongs at monsters,"**

**Iris's face was struck with horror, as her hand covered her mouth, "Oh, they're not Ding Dongs!" she rummaged under the counter, her long hair falling over her shoulders. She stood back up, brushing her hair away with a hand, and put a package on the counter. They looked exactly like Ding Dongs; chocolate covered cakes. "These are gluten-free, no-sugar-added, vitamin-enriched, soy-free, goat-milk-and-seaweed-based cupcake simulations,"**

"**All natural!" Fleecy added, smiling and bouncing, her eyes flashing grey, and then white.**

All the boys and gods made gagging noises, while the girl demi-gods just wrinkled their noses. None of the woman demi-gods seemed fazed.

"They are actually quite good," Athena said, and everyone turned to her. She shrugged, "We all have had one, us goddesses. They aren't that bad," The other goddesses nodded in approval.

"**I stand corrected," Frank said, his face wrinkling in disgust.**

**Iris smiled at Frank, and pushed the cupcake simulations to him, "You should try one, Frank. You are lactose intolerant, aren't you?"**

"**How did you-"**

"**I know these things. Being a messenger goddess…well, I do learn a lot, hearing all the communications from the gods and so on. Besides, those monsters should be glad to have some healthy snacks. Always eating junk food and heroes," she scoffed, "They are so **_**unenlightened.**_** I couldn't have them tromping through my store, tearing up things and disturbing our **_**feng shui**_**,"**

"So unenlightened," Travis nodded, and Connor snickered.

"Shhhhh!" Katie shushed them, a finger to her lips.

"Isn't Hermes the messenger god?" Leo asked to everyone, and Hermes answered,

"Iris and I sort of share the position. We got each other's backs, basically,"

**Percy pulled away from Hazel's assisting grip, and leaned against the counter. He looked like he was going to throw up all over the nick-nacks and dream catchers. "Monsters marching south!" he struggled to speak, "Going to destroy…our camp. Couldn't you….stop them?" he managed to say, gripping the counter so much his knuckles turned white.**

"Yeah couldn't she have stopped them with her magic rainbow?" Leo suggested, looking at Butch.

"Nah, she is non-violent," he shrugged, defending his mother.

"**Oh I'm strictly nonviolent," Iris said.**

"Apple doesn't fall to far from the tree, I suppose," Thalia joked.

"**I can act in self-defense only, but I won't be drawn into any more Olympian aggression, thank you very much. I've been reading about Buddhism. And Taoism. I haven't decided between them,"**

"But isn't she a Greek goddess?" Leo asked.

"**But…Aren't you a Greek goddess?" Hazel asked, her brown curls bouncing.**

"Hey you think just like Hazel," Jason punched his arm, and Leo rubbed the spot that got hit.

"Ow, bruise," he said.

**Iris crossed her arms at Hazel, "Don't try to put me into a box, demigod! I'm not defined by my past!"**

"**um, okay" Hazel said, unsure of how to respond, "Could you at least help our friend here? I think he is sick…"**

**Percy reached across the counter, and for a second it seemed he was reaching for the fake Ding Dongs. "Iris…Iris-message. Can you send one?" he choked out, squeezing his eyes shut before opening them again, his green eyes in pain.**

"Someone help him!" Annabeth whined to Thalia.

**Frank looked confused, his hand scratching his head, "Iris-message?"**

**Percy seemed confused, as if he himself didn't even know, "It's…Isn't that something that you do?"**

Jason nodded, "That happened. You say something on instinct but then can't explain it. It sucks,"

"This whole thing sucks," Annabeth glared at Hera, who was watching the screen, seeing her plan unfold for a second time.

**Iris stared at Percy, sizing him up, "Intersting… You're from Camp Jupiter, and yet…Oh, I see. Juno is up to her tricks," **

"**What?" Hazel asked, looking from a sick son of Poseidon to the rainbow goddess.**

**Iris glanced at Fleecy, having a silent conversation. Then, the goddess pulled out a vile from behind the counter, and spayed some strange oil around Percy's face, who wiped it away, "There, that should balance your **_**chakra**_**. As for the Iris-message-that's an ancient wy of communication. The Greeks used it. The Romans never took to it-always relying on their road systems and giant eagles and whatnot. But yes, I imagine…Fleecy, could you give it a try?"**

"**Sure, boss," she smiled.**

**Iris winked at Frank, "Don't tell the other gods, but Fleecy handles most of my messages these days. She's wonderful at it, really, and I don't have time to answer all those requests personally. It messes up my **_**wa.**_**"**

"The cloud nymph handles Iris's duties!?" questioned Zeus, and Hermes shrugged, "As long as it gets don't it should be fine. There isn't a difference,"

"**Mmm. Fleecy, why don't you take Percy and Hazel into the back? You can get them something to eat while you arrange their messages. And for Percy…yes, memory sickness. I imagine that old Polybotes…well, meeting him in a state of amnesia **_**can't**_** be good for a child of P- that is to say, Neptune. Fleecy, give him a cup of green tea with organic honey and wheat germ and some of my medicinal powder number five. That should fix him up,"**

"Herbal fixings? Rock on Iris," Apollo said. The god of medicine nodded at Iris.

"Will it really make him better?" Annabeth asked, her grey eyes boring into the god.

"Yes, child, it should heal him fine,"

Annabeth let out a breath of air she didn't realize she was holding.

**Hazel frowned at Iris, "What about Frank?"**

**Iris turned to Frank, and tilted her head quizzically, and smiled, "Oh, don't worry. Frank and I have a lot to talk about,"**


	10. Chapter 10

**Iris looped her arm in with Franks, and pulled him outside. Fleecy took Percy but the arm and lead him staggering into the back, his face green. Hazel followed, looking cautiously back and forth between Percy and Frank. Near a bay window, Iris sat Frank down at a table. The stars twinkled and the moon shone bright.**

"Oh, the moon is so beautiful in the countryside!" Artemis fawned, putting her hand in her face, her eyes twinkling silver, like the stars.

Artemis, Annabeth, and Thalia smiled sadly at the stars, in memory of Zoe, who loved the stars more than anything.

**Frank put his spear on the ground, and took a seat after Iris.**

"**Frank, I know how you feel," Iris patted Franks hand, who was nervously moving in his seat, "I imagine that half-burned stick in your pocket gets heavier every day,"**

**Frank reached to his coat, instinctively, "How do you-"**

"**I told you! I know things. I was Juno's messenger for ages. I know why she gave you a reprieve,"**

**Frank pulled out his firewood, and unwrapped it carefully, as if it was a china doll.**

"**Juno saved you for a reason. She wants you to serve her pan. If she hadn't appeared that day when you were a baby and warned your mother about the firewood, you would've died. You were born with too many gifts. That sort of power tends to burn out a mortal life," Iris replied, casually. She looked right into Frank's eyes, holding his gaze.**

"Too many gifts?" Annabeth wondered. She had accidently said it outloud, and looked around with pink cheeks, as people smiled at her slip.

"The only gift I see is that kick-ass spear!" hooted Clarisse, as demigods looked at her questionably. Nobody accept the gods, Ares cabin, and Athena cabin knew what power the spear held.

"Dad, why don't I get a spear like that?" asked a camper to his father.

Ares grunted at his child, "You don't deserve it, brat"

"**Too many gifts?" Frank fumed, "I don't have **_**any**_** gifts!"**

**Iris swiped her hand in front of her face, like she was cleaning a windshield, a small rainbow appearing. "That's not true Frank. Think about it,"**

**Shimmering in the rainbow, a younger Frank, from maybe when he was 4 years old, appeared running across his backyard. A powerful, strong willed looking woman leaned out of the window; Franks mother. His mother called for him to not go too far, and to stay near the house. Frank did the opposite.**

"Extraordinary. Exactly like his father," Athena observed.

"What? Perfect? Tough? Strong?" Ares sat up straighter.

"Impulsive. Opposing," Athena responded.

"Sounds more like Old Barnacle Beards son,"

"True," Athena agreed.

"Excuse me!" Poseidon glared, gripping his trident, which glowed with power.

**In the rainbow, Frank came face to face with a grizzly bear, who was surprised to see a young boy running around. In a flash, Frank's mother was by his side, telling him to go inside. Frank obeyed, and when he turned back his mother was coming out of the woods, no bear in sight. His mother smiled, the warm, inviting kind of smile that melted your worries away. "Mama Bear just needed directions," she said.**

**The scene changed, and Frank was six years old, curling up in his mother's lap. Her long, black hair was pulled up in a ponytail, exposing her proud cheekbones. She wrapped her arms around her son, and she wore rimless glasses. She wore a fuzzy grey fleece, and was telling stories to her son about heroes, saying they were all related to Frank; like Xu Fu, who sailed to find the elixir of life. She poked his stomach and told the story about Sung Guo, and how he fought dragons, because he was 'the strongest dragon of all. That's how he beat them!" Frank rolled away, laughing, from his mother, who was tickling him. "And then there is your oldest ancestor that we know of; Prince of Pylos! Hercules fought him once! It was a hard fight!" she exclaimed, picking up her small son.**

Artemis growled at the mention of Hercules, as did Thalia.

"What's wrong?" asked Nico to Thalia.

Thalia's knuckles were so tight, they turned white "Hercules is-"

"A bad man," Annabeth said, keeping the younger demigods around her from hearing her sailor mouth.

"**Did we win?" small Frank asked, smiling up at his mother.**

**His mother laughed, but her voice was dipped in sadness, "No, our ancestor lost. But it wasn't easy for Hercules. Imagine trying to fight a swarm of bees. That's how it was. Even Hercules had trouble,"**

**Frank's head tilted to the side, and he looked confused. He looked at his mother curiously, "Where is our family from?"**

"**Li-Jien. Our family is from many places, but our home is Li-Jien. Always remember, Frank: you have a special gift. You can be anything,"**

**The rainbow shimmered and then vanished, leaving a small hint of mist in its passing.**

Annabeth was working out what had happened. _Why had the goddess shown Frank these scenes?___She pulled out the key words; "the strongest dragon", "swarm of bees", "Prince of Pylos", "Li-Jien". They had to mean something! She thought of all the possibilities, but nothing she thought of made sense. She looked up at her mother, who looked at her and winked. She knew Annabeth would be able to figure it out- she was the daughter of Athena, she had her mother's brains.

**Frank was stunned, "I don't understand," his voice was hoarse.**

"**Your mother explained it. You can be anything," Iris replied, evenly.**

Annabeth's grey eyes widened. _It can't be…._

"_But it is, my daughter" _she heard her mother's wise voice in her head. "_Don't ruin it for the others, they will figure it out in due time,"_

**Frank pressed his hands against his pants pocket, where he kept his mother's medal. He looked down, "I **_**can't**_** be anything. I've got zero skills,"**

"**What have you tried? You wanted to be an archer. You managed that pretty well," Iris pushed, "You've only scratched the surface! Your friends, Hazel and Percy-they're both stretched between worlds: Greek and Roman, the past and the present. But you are stretched more than either of them,"**

"What does that mean? I know the other stretches but what worlds are he stretched into?" Leo piped up, leaning back in his chair taking a mento pack out of his tool belt, which he wore around his waist like a belt.

"Listen and maybe you'll find out," Piper shot him a look, her eyes swirling different shades of hazel and brown.

**Iris continued, "Your family is ancient-the blood of Pylos on your mother's side, and you father is Mars. No wonder Juno wants you to be one of her seven heroes. She wants you to fight the giants and Gaea. But think about this: what do **_**you**_** want?"**

"Inferior goddess! Messing with my heroes minds!" Hera screamed at the screen.

"A choice?" Annabeth's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, "We never get cxhoices…"

"Lucky," the Stoll's breathed.

"**I don't have a choice. I'm the son of the stupid war god," Frank started.**

"Stupid!?" fumed Ares, throwing a knife down at the ground. The whole Ares cabin started shouting and shaking their weapons, threatening the screen.

"Calm yourselves!" Zeus exclaimed, lightning flashing on the ceiling and thunder boomed. Ares grumbles a few curses in Greek, and the Cabin followed his example by glaring up at Frank on the screen, cracking their knuckles.

**Frank continued, "I have to go on this quest and-"**

**Iris smiled and raised an eyebrow "**_**Have**_** to? Not **_**want**_** to? I used to think like that. Then I got tired of being everyone's servant. Fetch goblets of wine for Jupiter. Deliver letters for Juno. Send messages back and forth across the rainbow for anyone with a golden **_**drachma**_**," Iris rolled her eyes.**

"**A golden what?"**

"How can he not know what a drachma is?" Piper asked. She was one of the newest campers, and she learned about Drachma's the day she crash landed.

"We don't use drachmas in New Rome," Jason explained.

Annabeth nodded, and continued, "It is a Greek thing. Roman's never took to it, like they never took to Iris Messages,"

"**Not important. But I learned to let go. I started R.O.F.L and now I'm free of that baggage. You can let go, too. Maybe you can't escape fate. Someday that piece of wood **_**will**_** burn. I foresee that you'll be holding it when it happens, and your life will end-"**

"**Thanks," Frank muttered, fingering the clothed wood.**

**Iris wiped away the thought, "-but that just makes your life more precious! You don't have to be what your parents and grandmother expect. You don't have to follow the war god's orders, or Juno's."**

"Of course that pathetic hero needs to follow my orders!" Hera exclaimed.

"My son isn't pathetic, he just needs to toughen up! And he needs to follow my orders too!" Ares said, and Aphrodite rolled her eyes.

"Your son needs to follow his heart, and go after Hazel!" she squealed, putting shimmery lip gloss on her plump lips.

"Not this crap again," Ares grunted. Aphrodite glared at him, her ever changing eyes slicing him.

"**DO your own thing, Frank! Find a new path!" Iris said, clasping his hands, her warm eyes enlightening.**

"**Why are you telling me this? You want me to abandon the quest, let Camp Jupiter be destroyed? My friends are counting on me!" Frank reasoned, thinking of his camp and his duties.**

**Iris spread her hands, "I can't tell you what to do, Frank. But do you **_**want**_**, not what they tell you to do. Where did conforming ever get me? I spent millennia serving everyone else, and I never discovered my identity. What's my sacred animal? No one bothered to give me one. Where are my temples? They never made any. Well, fine! I've found peace here at the co-op. You should stay with us, if you want. Become a ROFLcopter."**

Travis and Connor laughed, and Katie smacked them. They shrugged, and their eyes spoke for them; ROFLcopter was a hilarious name.

"**A what, now?"**

"**The point is," Iris said, "you have options. If you continue this quest…what happens when you free Thanatos? Will it be good for your family? Your friends?"**

**Frank thought between the two possibilities, and decided on a path.**

"**I have to," he sat up a little straighter, "It's my job,"**

**Iris sighed, and looked sadly at Frank, "I expected as much, but I had to try. The task ahead of you…Well, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially a nice boy like you. If you must go, at least I can offer some advice. You'll need help finding Thanatos,"**

"Why does Percy always have to go on the worst quest's?" Annabeth sighed.

"Because he has the worst luck of any demigod known to man," summed up Thalia.

"Really?" Piper asked, not having met Percy yet.

"I would give you examples, but I don't want to surprise you so much. I've never met someone with his luck, it's ridiculous," Annabeth shook her head, remembering going of quest's with Percy.

"**You know where the giants are hiding him?" Frank asked hopefully.**

**Iris gazed her wind chimes, which were dancing in the winds, "No…Alaska is beyond the gods' sphere of control. The location is shielded from my sight. But there **_**is**_** someone who would know. See out the seer Phineas. He's blind, but he can see the past, present, and future. He knows many things. He can tell you where Thanatos is being held."**

"**Phineas…" Frank said, his eyes up to the ceiling, thinking of his classes at Camp Jupiter. "Wasn't there a story about him?"**

The gods groaned, and the campers that knew his story (Athena Cabin) rolled their eyes. The unknowledgeable demigods just connected the dots; Phineas was not a good person.

**Iris nodded reluctantly, "In the old days, he committed horrible crimes. He used his gift of sight for evil. Jupiter sent the harpies to plague him. The Argonauts-including your ancestor, by the way-"**

"**The prince of Pylos?"**

**Iris hesitated, "Yes, Frank. Though his gift, and his story…**_**that**_** you must discover on your own. Suffice it to say, the Argonauts drove away the harpies in exchange for Phineas' help. That was eons ago, but I understand Phineas has returned to the mortal world. You'll find him in Portland, Oregon, Which is on your way north. But you must promise me one thing. If he's still plagues by harpies, do **_**not**_** kill them. Not matter what Phineas promises you. Win his help some other way. The harpies are not evil. They're my sisters,"**

"Sisters?" Connor asked.

"**Your sisters?" Frank asked, startled.**

"Dude, you guys think the same," Travis stated, and Katie giggled.

"What, you hit your boyfriend before, but not now?" Connor questioned, his arms crossed.

"Not my boyfriend," Katie said, her cheeks pink, matching Travis.

"Sure, guys. Just like Annabeth and Perce before the war," Connor said, getting smacked by Annabeth,

"**I know. I don't look old enough to be the harpies' sister, but it's true. And Frank…there's another problem. If you're determined to leave, you'll have to clear those basilisks off the hill,"**

"**You mean the snakes?"**

"**Yes, Basilisk means 'little crown', which is a cute name for something that's not very cute. I'd prefer not to have them killed. They're living creatures, after all. But you won't be able to leave until they're gone. If your friends try to battle them…well I foresee bad things happening. Only **_**you**_** have the abilirt to kill the monsters,"**

Clarisse rubbed her hands hungrily, "Yes! About time!"

"What?" asked Nico.

"Well Corpse Breath, the spear is about to come into play," Clarisse's eyes glimmered with anxiety.

"**But how?" Frank asked.**

Clarisse through her arms up in exasperation. She turned to her dad, "Father, how can he be yours? Does your Roman side not know a perfect weapon when he sees one!?"

"Don't insult my Roman side, Brat. And that boy is probably the only one of my children that wouldn't know the perfect gift I gave him!" Ares bellowed, and Clarisse rolled her eyes, picking at her nail.

**Iris glanced down at the spear lying next to Frank's feet. He shifted uncomfortably.**

"**I wish there was another way. If you had some weasels, for instance. Weasels are deadly to basilisks," Iris said hopefully.**

**Frank raised his eyebrows, "Fresh out of weasels," **

**Iris shrugged, "Then you will have to use your father's gift. Are you sure you wouldn't like to live here instead? We make excellent lactose-free rice milk,"**

**Frank got out of his seat, "How do I use the spear?"**

"Yessssssssssss," Clarisse said, bouncing in her seat gingerly.

"**You'll have to handle that on your own. I can't advocate violence. While you're doing battle, I'll check on your friends. I hope fleecy found the right medicinal herbs. The last time, we had a miz-up…Well, I don't think those heroes **_**wanted**_** to be daisies…" She said, biting her lip.**

"Oh, gods, can you imagine Perce as a daisy?" Thalia laughed, shoulder tapping Annabeth, and hitting Nico's arm.

Nico started laughing too, "Oh, gods!" he cried.

"Stop…" Annabeth said, stifling her laughs.

**Iris stood up, her glasses flashing with light, reflecting an image of Frank. Her looked serious and grim, and nothing like the worry free boy in the rainbow.**

"**One last bit of advice, Frank. You're destined to die holding that piece of firewood, watching it burn. But perhaps if you didn't keep it yourself. Perhaps if you trusted someone enough to hold it for you…" Iris said slowly, letting every word sink into Frank.**

**Frank's hand curled protectively around his wood, "Are…are you offering?"**

**Iris laughed gently, and placed a hand on Franks shoulder, her hair blowing around her face, "Oh, dear, no. I'd lose it in this collection. It would get mixed up with my crystals, or I'd sell it as a driftwood paperweight by accident. No, I meant a demigod friend. Someone close to your heart,"**

"HAZEL!" screamed Aphrodite, fanning her face. She smiled and Piper looked down at her feet, embarrassed by her Barbie-doll mother.

**He wrapped up his tinder, and slipped it back into his coat, "Thanks…thanks, Iris," he said. He toed the spear, and Iris squeezed her hand.**

"**Don't lose hope, Frank. Rainbows always stand for hope," she winked at him, making her way to the back of the store.**

"**Hope," Frank grumbled. He shook his head, "I'd rather have a few good weasels,"**

**He picked up his spear, and marched out, dejectedly, preparing to fight the snakes.**


End file.
